Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Krishna (as Bala Krishna, the child Krishna) temple · Udupi, Karnataka, India
The Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi, coastal Karnataka, is a temple of Krishna and a monastic centre of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. Karnataka Tourism states that the temple and matha were set up in the 13th century by the Vaishnava saint Madhvacharya, the founder of Dvaita philosophy. The temple stands on Car Street (Rathabidi) in the heart of Udupi town.
The shrine is known for an unusual form of worship: devotees see the image of Krishna through a small window rather than from the doorway, a tradition linked to the poet-saint Kanakadasa. The temple is run not by a government board but by eight monasteries founded by Madhvacharya, the Ashta Mathas, which take charge of it in turn.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
The image in the sanctum is of Bala Krishna, the child form of Krishna. According to the temple legend, retold by Karnataka Tourism and Wikipedia, Madhvacharya received a large lump of gopichandana clay from a ship's captain off the coast near Malpe, and found the image of Krishna inside it when it was broken open. He installed the image at Udupi.
Karnataka Tourism describes the image as enshrined behind a silver window with nine openings, called the Navagraha Kindi, through which devotees take darshan. A second window in the western wall of the shrine, the Kanakana Kindi or 'Kanaka's window', is named after Kanakadasa. Tradition holds that when Kanakadasa was kept from entering the temple, he sang his devotion from outside, and the image turned to face west so that he could see it through an opening in the wall. Wikipedia notes that the inner Navagraha Kindi is often mistaken for the Kanakana Kindi; the two are different windows.
Wikipedia describes the matha as a centre of Dasa Sahitya, the devotional literature of the Haridasa saints, and of the teachings of Dvaita (Tattvavada). Karnataka Tourism highlights the temple's daily free meal (anna prasada), served to thousands of visitors.
Heritage
History of Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Madhvacharya founded the matha in the 13th century and established eight monasteries to carry on worship and teaching. Wikipedia lists them as the Palimaru, Admaru, Krishnapura, Puttige, Shirur, Sodhe, Kaniyoor and Pejavara mathas. Each has its own presiding deity in addition to sharing the worship of Krishna.
Under the Paryaya system, the head of one of the eight mathas takes over the worship and management of the Krishna temple for a two-year term. The Deccan Chronicle described the handover in its reports of the January 2018 and January 2024 Paryaya ceremonies: the incoming seer bathes at Danda Tirtha, is taken in procession to the temple, has darshan through the Kanakana Kindi and prays at the nearby Chandramouleshwara and Anantheshwara temples. The outgoing seer then hands over the Akshaya Patra and Sattuga, a vessel and ladle said to have come down from Madhvacharya, and leads him to the Sarvajna Peetha, the seat of office.
Wikipedia records that the matha met its expenses from devotees' gifts and the contributions of the Ashta Mathas, and that it lost its large landholdings under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act of 1975. It also records that the Kanakadasa legend was written down by the German scholar Hermann Mögling in the 1860s, in a slightly different form from the story told today.
Architecture and sacred features
Karnataka Tourism notes that the complex has grown over centuries under successive mathas. A gopuram (gateway tower) marks the entrance from the street, the Navagraha Kindi stands in a hall called the Chandrasala, and the Madhwa Sarovara, the temple tank, lies beside the main shrine. The quarters of the eight mathas, each with its own kitchen and prayer hall, surround the temple. The Anantheshwara and Chandramouleshwara temples stand close by.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple is busy all day, and Karnataka Tourism notes that a single queue is used for darshan. Photography is restricted inside the sanctum, and a dress code is followed for the inner areas. Crowds are heavy during the Paryaya ceremony and on festival days. Darshan timings change around the rituals, so confirm current timings and dress rules with the Sri Krishna Matha or Karnataka Tourism before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with The Ashta Mathas of Udupi, in two-year turns (Paryaya) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Paryaya
The ceremony in which charge of the temple's worship and administration passes from one Ashta Matha seer to the next for a two-year term, with a procession through Udupi and the handing over of the Akshaya Patra at the Sarvajna Peetha.
Location
How to Reach Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Karnataka Tourism gives Mangaluru International Airport as the nearest airport, about 60 km from Udupi, and Udupi railway station as about 3 km from the temple. Buses and taxis run along NH66 from Mangaluru and other coastal towns, and the temple is within walking distance of the town centre.
Location: Udupi, Karnataka, India
Nearest airport: Mangaluru International Airport, about 60 km (per Karnataka Tourism)
Nearest railway station: Udupi, about 3 km (per Karnataka Tourism)
More in Hindu temples in Karnataka · Krishna (as Bala Krishna, the child Krishna) temples · Temples in Udupi Taluk · Temples in Udupi District
Questions
Udupi Sri Krishna Matha: Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded the Udupi Sri Krishna Matha?
The 13th-century saint Madhvacharya, founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta, according to Karnataka Tourism. He also founded the eight Ashta Mathas that run the temple.
What is the Kanakana Kindi?
A window in the western wall of the shrine named after the poet-saint Kanakadasa. Tradition says that when he was kept from entering, the image of Krishna turned west so he could see it through an opening in the wall.
Why do devotees see Krishna through a window at Udupi?
The image is kept behind a silver window with nine openings, the Navagraha Kindi, and darshan is taken through it. It is separate from the Kanakana Kindi, though the two are often confused.
What is the Udupi Paryaya?
A ceremony held every two years in which one of the eight Ashta Mathas hands over the worship and management of the Krishna temple to the next. The incoming seer is led to the Sarvajna Peetha after receiving the Akshaya Patra.
Which form of Krishna is worshipped at Udupi?
Bala Krishna, the child Krishna. According to legend, Madhvacharya found the image inside a lump of gopichandana clay given to him by a ship's captain.
How do I reach the Udupi Krishna temple?
Udupi railway station is about 3 km away and Mangaluru International Airport about 60 km, according to Karnataka Tourism. The temple is on Car Street in the town centre.
Sources and attribution
- Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka — Udupi Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi
- Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka — Udupi Shri Krishna Temple
- Deccan Chronicle — Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji Assumes Paryaya Peetha in Udupi (18 Jan 2024; Wayback Machine copy)
- Deccan Chronicle — Change of guard at Udupi math draws thousands (19 Jan 2018; Wayback Machine copy)
- Wikipedia — Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Further reading: Udupi Sri Krishna Matha on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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