Udupi ಉಡುಪಿ
—  city  —
Udupi Krishna Matha temple
Udupi ಉಡುಪಿ Udupi
Coordinates	13°35′N 74°45′E / 13.59°N 74.75°E / 13.59; 74.75Coordinates: 13°35′N 74°45′E / 13.59°N 74.75°E / 13.59; 74.75
Country	India
Region	Tulu Nadu
State	Karnataka
District(s)	Udupi
Council President	Dinakar Shetty
Population • Density	127,060 (2001[update]) • 286 /km2 (741 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	68.23 square kilometres (26.34 sq mi) • 39 metres (128 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 576101 (City) • Telephone • +0820 • Vehicle • KA-20
Footnotes "Udupi - The Temple City"
Website	www.udupicity.gov.in

Udupi (Tulu:ಉಡುಪಿ, Konkani:उडुपी and Kannada:ಉಡುಪಿ) is a town in the south-west Indian State of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Udupi District. Udupi is notable for the Krishna Temple, and lends its name to the popular Udupi cuisine. Udupi, also known as Rajata Peetha and Shivalli (Shivabelli), a centre of pilgrimage, is situated about 58 km north of Mangalore and about 422 km north-west of Bangalore.

Etymology[link]

It is widely believed that the name of Udupi was derived from its Tulu name Odipu. The Tulu name in turn is associated with a temple at Malpe, devoted to Vadabhandeshwara. Another story is that the name Udupi came from the combination of the Sanskrit words Udu and Pa, which mean "stars" and "lord." According to legend, the moon's light was once reduced due to a curse by King Daksha, whose 27 daughters (the 27 stars, according to Hindu astrology) were married to the moon. The moon prayed to Lord Shiva to get back its original shine. Lord Shiva was pleased with the moon's prayer and restored its shine. Legend says that the moon and his wives made their prayer at the Chandramouleeshwara temple at Udupi, creating a linga that can be seen even today. According to this story, therefore, Udupi means the land of the "lord of the stars," the moon.

Religious significance[link]

Udupi is known for the Krishna Mutt (Temple of Lord Krishna) and also native place of the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya who founded the Krishna Mutt in the 13th century.

According to folklore, there was a storm in the sea at Malpe. Shri Madhvacharya was on the shore at the time and saw a ship which was in trouble. He helped the ship reach the shore to safety. The sailors were very grateful to him and gave him deities of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama. He did the pratishte (installation ceremony) of the deity of Lord Balarama near Malpe. This temple is known as Vadabhandeshwara. He brought the deity of Lord Krishna and did the pratishte at Udupi. This temple is known as Krishna Mutt.

Shri Madhvacharya handed over the puja and administration of Krishna Mutt to his 8 disciples. Each of them set up their Mathas (monasteries) around the Krishna Mutt.^[1] These are known as the Ashta Mathas. The Mathas are Pejavara, Puttige, Palimaru, Adamaru, Sodhe, Kaniyooru, Shirur and Krishnapura. Since then, the daily sevas (offerings to god) and administration of the Krishna Mutt are managed by the Ashta Mathas (eight temples). Each of the Ashta Mathas performs Mutt management activities for two years in a cyclical order. During the Paryaya festival, held every two years, the Mutt management is handed over to the next Matha. Each of the Mathas is headed by a Swami, who will be in charge of the Mutt during his Paryaya.

In the 16th century during Sri Vaadiraja's administration, Kanakadasa an ardent believer of God came to Udupi to worship Lord Krishna. He was not allowed inside the Mutt since he was from the caste other than Brahmin, as during that time only Brahmin's had the privilege of entering the Mutt to offer pooja to the God. He tried to see Lord Krishna from a small window, but was only able to see Lord Krishna from the back. It is believed that Sri Krishna, pleased by the bhakti (devotion) of Kanakadasa turned to face the window. This window came to be known as Kanakana Kindi. To this day, the deity of Lord Krishna faces the back of the Mutt towards the Kanakana Kindi. All Hindu temples have their Vigraha (Deity) facing the entrance of the temple, except Krishna Mutt.

Kanakana Kindi is decorated with carvings depicting the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Through the nine small holes of the window we see the deity of Sri Krishna as a very young boy. He holds the churning rod in His right hand and rope in his left. The Krishna Matha is known throughout the world for its religious customs, traditions, and learning in Dvaita or Tatvavaada philosophy. It is also the centre of Daasa Sahitya, a form of literature that originated in Udupi.

Demographics[link]

As of the 2001 India census,^[2] Udupi had a population of 113,039. Males constituted 49% of the population and females 51%. The average literacy rate was 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy was 86% and female literacy 81%. Eight percent of the population was under 6 years of age.

Bunts, Mogaveeras, Billavas, Devadigas, Shivalli Brahmins, Konkanis Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat are some of the prominent communities in Udupi.

Udupi, which previously had a Town Municipal Council now has a City Municipal Council which came into existence in 1995. Areas around Udupi, such as Manipal, Malpe and Santhekatte were merged to form the City Municipal Council.

Udupi was carved out as a separate district from the erstwhile Dakshina Kannada district on 25 August 1997. Udupi, Kundapura and Karkala were bifurcated from the Dakshina Kannada District and the Udupi District was formed.

Language[link]

Tulu is the most widely spoken language in Udupi. Konkani, Kannada and Beary bashe is also spoken by substantial number of people.

Climate[link]

The climate in Udupi is hot in summers and pretty good in winter. During summers(from March to May) the temperature reaches up to 40°C and in winters (from December to February) it is usually between 32°C and 20°C.

The Monsoon period is from June to September with one of the rainfall averaging more than 4000mm every year and heavy winds.

Cuisine[link]

The term Udupi (also Udipi) is also synonymous with delicious vegetarian food now found all over world (see Udupi cuisine). The origin of this cuisine is linked to Krishna Matha (Mutt). Lord Krishna is offered food of different varieties every day, and there are certain restrictions on ingredients during Chaturmasa (a four-month period during the monsoon season). These restrictions coupled with the requirement of variety led to innovation, especially in dishes incorporating seasonal and locally available materials. This cuisine was developed by Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins who cooked food for Lord Krishna, and at Krishna Matha in Udupi, the food is provided free. Restaurants specialized in Udupi cuisine can be seen widely in most metropolitan and large cities around the length and breadth of India.

Transportation[link]

National Highway 66 passes through Udupi. Other significant roads include the State Highways to Karkala and Dharmastala and to Shimoga and Srinari. The NH-66 provides a link to Mangalore and Karwar via Kundapur. Private as well as government buses connect Udupi to various parts of Karnataka. Udupi has a railway station on the Konkan Railway. The nearest international airport to Udupi is Mangalore (Bajpe) Airport, which is 50p;km away.

City and suburban transport is available for travel within Udupi and suburbs. The buses originate from the suburban bus stand (City Bus Stand). There are different route numbers.

The nearest harbour/port to Udupi is Malpe, which is 5 km away, and Gangoli (Kundapur), which is 36 km away. The New Mangalore Port/Harbour is 50 km away from Udupi.

Udupi Railway Station is managed by the Konkan Railways. It is about 2 km from Udupi town and is on the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai rail route. Direct trains are available to Mumbai, Delhi, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. Traveling north, Kundapura Railway Station is the nearest main station.

Economy and industry[link]

Udupi is becoming a major city of Karnataka. People here have the highest average per-capita income in Karnataka according to a recent survey by a private firm.^{[citation needed]}. Poverty rate in Udupi is fairly low when compared to Bangalore and other districts of Karnataka.

Udupi is also the birth place of the Syndicate Bank and Corporation Bank.^[3][4] Udupi's economy depends mainly on agriculture and fishing. Small-scale industries like the cashew industry, and other food industries and milk cooperatives are the most prominent. There is no large-scale industry in Udupi.

The Karnataka Government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Cogentrix Light and Power Industry to set up a thermal power plant in the district at Nandikur. However, because of stiff opposition from citizens and environmentalist groups, the project has been temporarily suspended. An attempt by the Nagarjuna Power Corporation to set up a similar plant at nearby Padubidri also met strong opposition. Now, the power plant has not only been set up, it is generating 1,200 MW of power under the name of Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), a subsidiary of Lanco Infra, an Andhra Pradesh-based infrastructure major. The opposition, however, continues.

Manipal, a suburb of Udupi, is home to the headquarters of Syndicate Bank. It is renowned as an education and medical hub.

Art and culture[link]

Yakshagana'

Bhuta Kola, Aati kalenja, Karangolu, and Nagaradhane are some of the cultural traditions of Udupi. The residents celebrate festivals such as Diwali, Dusshera and Christmas. Folk arts like Yakshagana are also popular.

Rathabeedhi Geleyaru, a local non-profit organisation, was founded to encourage creative pursuits, especially those that keep alive the traditions of the region. Its primary focus has been drama.

Festivals[link]

There are several festivals during which huge crowds of locals as well as outsiders gather in Udupi.

During the biennial Paryaya festival the temple management is handed over to the next Matha. Each of the Mathas is headed by a Swami, who will be in charge of the temple during his Paryaya. The Paryaya is held on 18 January on the even years (like 2010, 2012 and so on), starting early in the morning at around 3 AM. During this festival there are tableaus from various groups which gather in Udupi. Festivals like Makara Sankranthi, Ratha Sapthami, Madhva Navami, Hanuma Jayanthi, Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Navarathi Mahotsava, Madhva Jajanti (Vijaya Dashami), Naraka Chathurdashi, Deepavali, Geetha Jayanthi etc. are celebrated very grandly by Paryaya Mutt every year.

Krishna Janmashtami is held every year. During this festival groups of men wear "Pili Vesha (Tulu)/Huli vesha (Kannada)" Tiger costume and other costumes. They visit and collect donations from shops and houses around Udupi with a lot of enthusiasm among the participants and general public.

Bhajana Saptaha which is held in Sri Laxmi Venkatesh Temple. Saptaha means one week. During this time Bhajans are sung continuously day and night for 7 days. This event takes place every year during August.

Rathothsava (Chariot festival) is held in almost all occasions around Rathabeedi. During this time the ratha (chariot) of Lord Krishna is pulled by locals around Rathabeedi.

In 2012 an "International festival" described as a rave largely attended by foreign tourists caused a scandal when a video of tourists at the event having public sex was distributed.^[5] Some government officers watching the video in the legislative assembly resigned in a scandal called Porngate.

Future Developments[link]

Udupi is getting modernized day by day retaining its image as a pilgrimage centre. Lot of developments are taking place in the city and many projects are in pipeline.

The widening of NH 17 from Surathkal to Kundapur to a four lane highway will result in widening of the stretch which passes through the city. Two flyovers at Kinnimulky and Karavali Junction will be built and are expected to ease traffic jams to some extent at those junctions.

Private real estate builders and developers have proposed building shopping malls and multiplexes in future due to high average per capita income of the people here. The boom has already started with the supermarket chain Big Bazaar which has already opened its outlet in Udupi.

Other places of interest[link]

• The ancient temples of Ananteshvara and Chandramaulishvara.
• The Ambalpadi Devi temple and the Kadiyali Mahishamardini. T
• The Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre museum in the M.G.M. College premises.
• Karkala Jain temples and Bahubali statue
• Moodabidri Jain temples

See also[link]

• Greater Udupi
• Udupi cuisine
• Udupi Krishna Temple

References[link]

• Shivaram, Choodie (1996-08-11). "Karnataka Spiritual Centers Threatened by Development: Three 700-Year-Old Monasteries in Udupi and Scores of Temples to be Displaced by Reckless Industrial Projects". Hinduism Today. http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3669. 
• "Conquer Vices To Sublimate The Mind". The Hindu. 1996-01-29. http://www.dvaita.org/scholars/vadiraja/VaadiraajaT_4.html. 
• "Ashtha Muth and Paryaya". Udupi temples. http://www.bangalorenet.com/katour/udu.htm. Retrieved 2005-12-12. 
• Neria Harish Hebbar. "The Eight Tulu Monasteries of Udupi". http://www.boloji.com/places/0021.htm. Retrieved 2005-12-12. 
• Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983'. Government of Karnataka. 1983

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Udupi

Look up Udupi in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Udupi City Municipality Official Website
• Udupi Urban Development Authority Official Website

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Oscar Fernandes (born 27 March 1941) is an India politician, a senior Indian National Congress leader and AICC General Secretary. He was the Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Dr. Manmohan Singh's first UPA government in India. He was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi constituency in Karnataka. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984, 1989, 1991 and 1996 from the same constituency. Later, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004. He was a Union Minister from 2004–2009, holding a number of portfolios such as Statistics and Programme Implementation, NRI Affairs, Youth and Sports Affairs and Labour and Employment.

Personal life[link]

Oscar was born to Roque Fernandes and Leonissa M. Fernandes in Udupi. Fernandes was one of 12 children in his family, and grew up with a strong Catholic background. As a child he was an altar boy, and as a youth he was active in Church activities. His family belongs to the Fernandes-Prabhu clan, a Mangalorean Catholic clan from Udyavara in Udupi district.^[1] He married Blossom Mathias Prabhu on 26 August 1981 and has one son Oshan and one daughter Oshanie.

Citations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Detailed Profile: Oscar Fernandes in india.gov.in website