Karnataka Yatra - Day 1

Udupi Krishna Temple

Over 3 decades ago, when we got married, Lalitha & I went on our first yatra as part of our honeymoon trip. We had flown to Mangaluru (then it was called Mangalore) and had visited several temples in and around the city including Udupi, Kollur, Dharmasthala etc. Now, after so many years of marriage and many more yatras (by ourselves & along with like minded friends), we wanted to do the Karnataka yatra once again. We hadn't visited Mangaluru together after that.

So, in early March 2026, we once again flew across to Mangaluru. Surprisingly, Indigo was on time and we reached Mangaluru by 8.45 am. At the airport, we were picked up by our taxi driver Raj, and driven straight to Udupi.

On the way, we halted at a restaurant called Shree Shankara Bhavana which was on the main road at Kulai. We had our breakfast here comprising of Neer dosa, Guliyappa (Paniyaram in Tamil), Idli Vada & coffee. Food was fresh & tasty but the sambhar was unlike what we are used to. There was an ever smiling attractive waitress from Nepal who served us.

              Durgaparameshwari Temple

After this, we halted at the Shree Durgaparameshwari Temple at Bappanadu. This temple is over 800 years old and in very well maintained. There were very few devotees here at this time and we had a wonderful darshan of the Devi. I could get very positive vibes at this temple which only shows how well they have been doing their rituals and keeping the deity as well as the temple charged with positive energy.

Then we visited another Devi Temple on the way. This was the Mahalakshmi Temple at Uchila which was really grand & spacious. For fishermen in the coastal region around Udupi and Mangaluru, the Shree Mahalakshmi Temple at Uchila is one of the most important places of worship. Dedicated to the Goddess Mahalaxmi, the idol housed in this temple is believed to be the third most revered Mahalaxmi idol after those in Kolhapur and Mumbai. The temple has been recently renovated. 

Mahalakshmi Temple

After our darshan here, we proceeded to Kapu to the Shree Hosa Marigudi Temple. This is yet another beautiful well maintained temple which must be about 300 years old. Here we are allowed to go up close to the main deity and circumambulate inside the sanctum. One unique feature in most of the big temples we saw in our journey, is that they provide Annadanam daily to all devotees who come.

After this, we proceeded to Udupi and reached around 12 noon. We checked into a hotel called Ocean Pearl which is a chain of hotels in Karnataka. The hotel was decent and has its own pure vegetarian restaurant called Sagar Ratna. 

After a quick freshen up and change of clothes, we proceeded to Udupi Shree Krishna temple. This was located less that 2 kms from our hotel. Krishna temple in Udupi is located in a complex in central Udupi and has a temple pond plus 3 shrines and many Mutts & small shops surrounding it. The place hasn't changed much in the last 30 + years and it still looks like an old settlement. There is a huge chariot outside the main temple meant for procession of Krishna on important festival days.

Chandramouleshwar
Temple

There was a queue of about 75 people waiting for the sanctum to open. After about 15 minutes, we were allowed inside. Men are expected to remove Shirts / vest etc. when inside the temple. 

The darshan was wonderful without any pushing or pressure to move. We have to see Krishna through a small barricaded window. The main door is to His back as He changed His position to give darshan to His devotee through the back window. The 16th century devotee, Kanakadasa, who was of a lower caste was denied entry to the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple. Standing behind the temple, he sang passionately, causing the idol to turn west and a crack to appear in the wall, granting him darshan through what is now the Kanakana Kindi. We had a very satisfactory and heart-filling darshan and also saw Garuda & Hanuman sanctums.

After this, we partook of the Annadanam. Here we saw many people eating off the bare floor without having any leaf / plate. I was told that people do this as a sort of penance and as a sign of gratitude for their wishes being granted.

Then we returned to our hotel and took some rest. In the evening, after finishing my evening prayers, we went to the Anantheshwar temple. This an ancient 8th-century shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on Car Street, adjacent to the famous Krishna Matha. It is considered the oldest temple in the town, managed by the Puttige Matha. The temple is associated with the origins of the Dwaita philosophy, serving as a moolasthana (source place) for Acharya Madhava's teachings.

Pond adjoining Udupi Temple

Here, besides a small Ganesh idol (on the left side of the sanctum door), there is a powerful Shiva lingam. There is also a shrine dedicated to Madhavacharya who is believed to be still present in the form of a small draft of air. People usually visit this temple and another nearby temple before visiting Udupi Krishna Temple. We stayed awhile here as the vibes were very positive and strong. 

Then, we visited the small Chandramouleeshwar temple nearby. It is renowned for its sphatik (quartz) lingam that reportedly changes color, appearing black in the morning, blue at noon, and white at night. It is believed that Lord Chandra (the Moon God) performed penance here to redeem himself from a curse by Daksha Prajapati. People visit this temple also before visiting Udupi Krishna Temple. The atmosphere here was blissful and one can spend hours here chanting & meditation.

Udupi Temple
Chariot

Then, we went once again into the Krishna temple. This time, there were hardly many devotees and we could get leisurely darshan within 5 minutes.  

Then we came out and searched for a restaurant called Mitra Samaj which is within the temple complex and which serves delicious simple fare. Unfortunately, it was weekly off day for them. We then proceeded to another small restaurant called Dosa Hut. It is run by a lady & is famous for its quality. We had one vegetable Uttapam. The size was huge and it was very tasty too. Our driver Raj ate with us everywhere and we soon discovered that his favourite item was Masala Dosa.

We then returned to our hotel for a well deserved rest as we completed the first day of our Karnataka yatra.