Sandwiched between the verdant mountains of the Western Ghats on the East and the mighty Arabian Sea on the West, Udupi stands tall in several fields. Be it educational institutions, hospitals, banks, green paddy fields, picturesque mountain ranges, artistic temples/ churches/ mosques, ethnic cuisine, pristine and serene beaches or a variety of folk arts including Yakshagana, a number of people the world over have heard of Udupi, though they may not know where exactly it is located! On the other hand, one can literally find people from all over the world in the district, thanks to the Manipal Group of Institutions with its two universities with over 1,00,000 students from over 51 countries.

Udupi, which was once a part of the unified Dakshina Kannada district, was carved into a separate district in the year 1997. The district is well known for its religious fervour and vividity of diverse cultural heritage. The religious variety of the district also presents a rich mosaic. Vedic, Jain, Christian and Muslim religions are prevalent here, each with its own set of followers. The district is also home to various tribal and ethnic communities with their own rituals, beliefs and ceremonies.

Folk arts
The district has a wide range of folk arts. Some of them include Yakshagana (a fabulous costumed dance drama, based on various mythological events, performed overnight), Kambala (buffalo race), Boothada Kola (a common form of ritual worship wherein demi-gods are believed to be divine spirits which enter human bodies and bless people), Kori Katta (also known as ‘cock fight,’ a popular sport amongst the village community), Naga Mandala (a ritualistic, elaborate worship of the serpent god), and Pili Vesha (dance of men painted in the colours of tiger during dasara).

Educational institutions
Educational institutions are the forte of the district. There are several colleges offering degrees in nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, hotel management, paramedical sciences, law, business administration, fashion technology, interior design... the list goes on.

At the same time, Manipal, which is situated barely 3 km from Udupi (not many people know about it!) has nothing but educational institutions. Manipal has been imparting world-class education for six decades now and the Manipal Group of Institutions was the first in the country to establish collaborations with foreign universities (Twinning Programme) at the degree level in Medicine and Engineering.

The Little Rock Indian School at Brahmavar in the district is also quite famous.

Education apart, the undivided Dakshina Kannada district is also known as the cradle of banking and is the birth place of five major banks of the country. They include Corporation Bank, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank and Karnataka Bank. The Syndicate Bank is headquartered in Manipal.

Food speciality
Kori-Rotti, chicken sukka, fish fry, curries (prawns, squids, lady fish, mackerel, pomphret, seer fish and so on), pork masala, pork chilly, sanna (a toddy based idli), moode, pathrode, goli-baje and jackfruit pappads are some of the special items of the district.

Temple town
Though there are several temples in the district, the Krishna Math which is synonymous with the name Udupi, and founded by Vaishnavite saint Sri Madhvacharya in the 13th century, is the hub of religious activity.
The daily offerings and administration of the Krishna Math is managed by the Ashta Maths (eight temples). Each math manages the temple activities for two years (Paryaya), when it gets a chance to manage the Krishna Math for two years once every 16 years. The Ashta Maths include Pejavara, Putthige, Palimaru, Adamaru, Sodhe, Kaniyur, Shirur and Krishnapura.

The other famous temples in the district include Sri Anantheshwara, Sri Chandramoulishwara and Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple at Ambalpady, Anegudde Temple, Hattiangady Temple, Sri Anjaneya Temple at Saligrama, Sri Mookambika Temple at Kollur and Sri Venkataramana Temple and Jain basadis at Karkala, among others.

Just as the Krishna Math is revered by Hindus, the Attur Church is revered by Christians in particular and people of all faiths in general. In fact, people from all walks of life congregate at Attur Church during its annual feast which is usually celebrated in the last week of January.

Tourist spots
The district has several tourist spots of interest including some of the finest beaches in coastal Karnataka. They include Maravanthe (with the Arabian sea on the West and the Souparnika River on the East), Ottinene (sunset point on the seashore), Thrasi, Malpe, Thottam and Kaup among others.

In Manipal alone (within 0.5 km radius) there are many interesting tourist spots besides its academic institutions. They include Smrithi Bhavan, dedicated to the memory of the architect of Manipal, Late Dr T M A Pai (Smrithi Bhavan, which used to be Dr Pai’s residence, is now a museum which holds on display memorabilia belonging to Dr Pai); Anatomy Museum, which holds the largest collection of specimens of normal and diseased human anatomy on display, drawing hundreds of visitors; End Point, situated atop the hill overlooking a valley along which quietly flows River Swarna; and Dr T M A Pai Planetarium, located on the banks of Manipal Lake near Manipal Junior College. The planetarium is a part of the Manipal Heritage Park which has several scientific and cultural attractions.

If you travel towards North from Udupi, there is Kundapur, another beautiful taluk which has several interesting tourist spots too. Some of them include Kollur, one of the Shakti Peethas established by Adi Shankaracharya; Kodachadri hill, a trekkers’ paradise; Anegudde, also known as Kumbhasi, which attracts several people to the Ganapathi temple; Basrur, where many temples are located on the banks of River Varahi; Hoovinakere, the birthplace of philosopher Vadiraja who preached Dwaita philosophy after Madhwacharya; Hosangadi, the Varahi project site; Kamalashile, nature lovers’ spot as it is full of streams, thick forests and much more; and Arisinagundi, which has a waterfall at the feet of Kodachadri hills.

The Kundapur taluk has played a significant role in evolving the Yakshagana dance-drama of the northern school known as Badaguthittu.

Jain basadi
Though Karkala is a bit far (about 35 km) from Udupi, the 45-feet tall statue of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshwara) draws a large number of people. Erected by a Jain king in 1432, in memory of Bahubali, the first Tirthankara who renounced the world at his most victorious moment, the statue of Gomateshwara stands as a true symbol of Jain faith. There are many Jain basadis as well. Besides, there is the Venkatramana temple, also known as ‘Padu Tirupati’, a place of pilgrimage for Gowda Saraswat Brahmins.

This apart, the shrine of St Lawrence at Attur has a remarkably rich history. It is said that the Attur-Karkala Parish was founded even before 1759 AD. In fact, the shrine attracts not only the residents of coastal districts, but also pilgrims from all parts of India.

They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Probably Udupi is one place which has something interesting for everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or interest.

Pride of Udupi 
* Dr Kota Shivaram Karanth, Jnanapeeth awardee.

* Dr Thonse Madhava Anantha Pai, founder of Manipal.

* Khan Bahadur Haji Abdulla Haji Kasim Saheb Bahadur, founder of
Corporation Bank.

* Pejawar Mutt seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji (Though he was       born in DK district, he lived almost all his life in Udupi).

* Thonse Ananth Pai, former Union minister, banker and TAPMI founder.

* Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, freedom fighter and folklorist. 

* Guru Dutt, well-known actor/singer. 

* Dr Ramdas Pai, Manipal University chancellor. 

* M V Kamath, Prasar Bharathi chairman.

* Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty, journalist.

* Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister.

The origin of ‘Udupi’
Though Udupi district was created in August 1997, legend has it that the name Udupi was derived from the Moon. In Sanskrit, ‘Udu’ means stars and ‘pa’ means the lord of. Hence, ‘Udupa’ means ‘the lord of the stars,’ which is the Moon. The place where the Moon performed penance and obtained the blessings of God is known as Udupi.
According to history, the Moon was once cursed by Daksha Prajapati. To ward off his curse, the Moon performed penance and God appeared before the Moon and freed him from the ill-effects of the curse. This place has since been known as Chandramoulishwar and there is also an ancient temple by this name in Udupi.

St Mary’s Island
As it is an island, boat (from Malpe harbour) is the only mode of transport to reach the island where one can find a unique formation of volcanic rocks which have crystallised into columns and split into vertical blocks — the only one of its kind in India.

Legend has it that Vasco da Gama landed in 1498 on these islands which he called “El Padron de Santa Maria.” However, later the island was called St Mary’s Island. It is about a square mile in area and not more than 250 yards in width.

The boatmen charge Rs 60 for the to and fro trip. In fact, they will drop you in the morning and pick you back in the evening. It is better to carry your own food as there are hardly any shops around.

Kanakana Kindi
A major attraction at Sri Krishna Math is the Kanakana Kindi, a small window through which Lord Krishna is believed to have given darshan to his ardent devotee Kanakadasa.

Legend has it that in the 16th century, during Sri Vaadiraja’s rule, Kanakadasa, an ardent believer of God, came to Udupi to worship Lord Krishna. But he was not allowed inside the temple since he belonged to a lower caste. However, Sri Krishna, pleased with the worship of Kanakadasa, created a small hole in the back wall of the temple and turned to face the hole so that Kanakadasa could see him.

This hole came to be known as Kanakana Kindi. In fact, it is now a tradition in this temple to worship the Lord through this window!

How to reach:
Air: Nearest airport is at Bajpe
(60 km from Udupi).

Rail: Udupi Railway Station, near Indralli, 3 km from Udupi as well as Manipal on the Konkan Railway route. In fact, the route connecting Mangalore/ Kerala and Goa/ Mumbai, has hundreds of bridges and tunnels. It’s a wonderful experience to travel on this route with the sea on one side and rivers on the other, amidst lush green forests.

Road: Excellent bus service connects Udupi from Bangalore (via Mangalore) and other major towns of Karnataka and neighbouring states.

Sea: Though the cruise service is yet to begin at the New Mangalore Port, foreign cruise ships do visit Mangalore port (50 km from Udupi) once in a while.