Udupi Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Udupi

Krishna Temple in Udupi is one of the renowned pilgrimage centers in South India. Thousands of devotees visit the temple to get a glimpse of Lord Krishna. The speciality of this temple is that the idol of Lord Krishna is visible through nine holes in a window. It is believed that the sight of the lord through the nine holes will bring prosperity.

The decorations on the lord Krishna idol are mesmerizing. Sometimes it is decorated with golden jewels and on other days with diamond armour. In the temple there are altars for Garuda and Hanuman too. The temple has a history of more than 1500 years, making it one of the ancient temples too in this part of India.

Some of the festivals celebrated in this temple with splendour are Rama Navami and Ugadi. The temple is 1 km east of the main bus stand and is 3 km west of the railway station. From the bus stand, it costs Rs 10 by auto and from the railway station it costs Rs 25. Visiting time is from 5 am to 9:30 pm.

Ananteshwar Temple is an important shrine located near Udupi. This is again one of the ancient temples in South India. The origin of the temple dates back to more than 1000 years. The temple is enclosed by hills on three sides and the river Manjeshwar flows across the other side.

There are three main deities in the temple, namely Sri Ananta, Sri Iswar (Siva) and Lord Bhadra Narasimha (avatar of Lord Vishnu). Since the 12th century, the temple has become an important pilgrimage centre for the followers of Lord Vishnu.

The temple is located near Udupi. It is about 1.5 km away from the Manjeshwar railway station. Bus services are available from both Udupi and Manjeshwar to this temple. You can find lodging facilities in both Manjeshwar and Udupi.

Pajaka is believed to be the birthplace of Sri Madhavacharya, who was a Dvaita philosopher. The ancestral home of Madhavacharya is a key attraction here. Madhava Mandira is another attraction worth visiting here, where many religious activities are performed. It is also a school where Veda and Sanskrit classes are held.

There is also a Parashurama temple in this location. There is a complex which includes Sri Anantapadmanabha Temple, house of Sri Madhavacharya and a temple where an idol of Sri Madhavacharya is placed by Sri Vadiraja.

Most of the attractions in this place are connected to Sri Madhavacharya; for example, you can see a huge banyan tree which was planted by him as well as four ponds from where he used to take water.

Pajaka Kshetra is just 13 km away from Udupi, towards the south east. The nearest airport is at Mangalore and the nearest railway station is at Udupi. There are buses from Udupi to Pajaka in abundance. Tourists can stay at various hotels and lodges at Udupi.

Chandramouleshwara Temple is located near the Unkal Circle in the suburbs of Hubbali in Karnataka. It is said to be built at the time of the Chalukyan period and dates back to almost 900 years. Some of the major attractions of this temple include the presence of four doors that spans across all directions besides two big Shivalingas.

Other major attractions involve the presence of sculpted walls as well as pillars that are built of black granite stones. For providing the visitors with visual as well as spiritual solaces, the images of dancing Ganesha as well as Jaalandhra are also present in the Temple. The stone inscription in the temple proves its history dating back to 11th or 12th century.

Though we can infer that the temple is built by a highly skilled team of architects, sculptors, masons as well as artists, there is still no record in the history which gives any details on who built it. Regular transportation services are provided to Chandramouleshwara Temple from Hubbali, Bangalore as well as Mangalore. The transportation facilities include buses, taxis as well as autorickshaws.

Kaup Beach is one of the most visited beaches in Karnataka. It is famous for its serene environment and the cool climate. The beach is enclosed by lush green surroundings. The cool breeze makes one fresh and energetic which makes it a favourite destination. It is located on the western coastal belt and the West Coast National Highway passes through this location.

The beach is just 12 km from Udupi, and is the perfect location for a picnic. It is also the best place for swimming and sunbathing. The place is easily accessible with any kind of transportation from Udupi.

There are also ruined Jain Basadis near the beach. There is also a light house near the beach which is 1000 feet high. Another place of attraction near the Kaup beach is the remains of an old fort and two temples of Goddess Mariamma. The beach is open throughout the year.

Koteshwara is a village near Kundapur and is located in the Udupi district. Koteshwara is 4 km away from Kundapur. The main attraction in Koteshwara is the Kotinatha or Kotilingeshwara temple. There are lots of other small shrines too in Koteshwara including that of Subramanya, Ganapati, GopalaKrishna and Jyesthna-Lakshmi.

There is a big lake near the Koteshwara Temple. The lake has several legendary tales and it is believed that there are underground tunnels connecting this temple to a place called Vandaru Kambala Gadde, which is 20 km away. Many other important temples like the Pattabhiramachandra Temple and the Kodandarama Temple are also located nearby.

Every year, this place is visited by thousands of Hindu devotees from Karnataka and other neighbouring states like Kerala. This place is well connected to Kundapur via roads. Frequent bus services are available to Koteshwara from Kundapur. The nearest airport is in Mangalore. Visitors can find good lodging facilities in Mangalore.

Kunjarugiri is a hilly area located almost 6 to 7 miles to the south-east of Udupi in Karnataka. The place is known for a sacred Durgadevi Temple which is said to be built by Lord Parashurama. Since the high hills resemble the looks of an elephant, it has been named as Kunjarugiri. Kunjara in Kannada means elephant.

The presence of the idol of Goddess Durgadevi as well as the holy temple of Parashurama provides the visitors with spiritual solace and long lasting devotion. The blessed atmosphere combined with holy Theerthas and the Pajaka Kshethra make it an important pilgrimage centre for the visitors. It takes hardly an hour to reach Kunjarugiri Durgadevi Temple from Udupi.

Frequent bus services are also available to and from Udupi and Kunjarugiri. Taxis and auto rickshaws are also available in plenty. Visitors who plan for a trip to this temple can stay at Udupi as there are plenty of lodges available at affordable rates too.

Mahishamardini Temple in Kadiyali is located almost 2 miles west of Udupi. The temple has got the reputation of being one of the oldest temples in South India. It has a history of more than 1200 years. Kadiyali Mahishamardini Temple is very near to the famous Shree Krishna Temple in Udupi as well as to the famous Manipal University.

The temple dates back to the Chalukyan period. With the help of cyber pilgrims, the temple was renovated recently. The idol of goddess Mahishamardhini is in a standing posture. The temple is constructed out of stone and has slanting roofs covered by thick granite slabs.

Some of the major attractions of the temple include the Chariot Festival that happens every year as well as the presence of the idol of Goddess Durga. Another ancient temple, Ananteshwara temple is also near to this temple. Transportation services such as bus, taxis as well as auto rickshaws are available to and from Udupi and Kadiyali.

Ambalpady Mahakali Temple is located hardly 2 to 3 km from Udupi in Karnataka. There is an idol of Goddess Mahakali that is almost 6 ft in height. The name Ambalpady has been derived from the word Amba which means Mother and also Pady which means top of a hill.

Another major attraction of the temple is Oracle in which the Goddess talks to devotees through a person called Pathri. This particular event takes place every Friday evening. Personal problems of the people are heard as well as the required solutions are also given to the pilgrims.

Visitors are also advised to visit the Lakshmi Janardhan Temple of Lord Mahavishnu that is located near the Mahakali Janardhan Temple. Some of the major poojas that take place in the Ambalpady Temple include Theertha Snana, Rakshayantra, Kunkumarachane and Mahapooja.

The nearest railway station is Udupi. Transportation services including buses, taxis as well as auto-rickshaws are available to reach Ambalpady Mahakali Janardhan Temple. There are plenty of lodges available in Udupi for pilgrims to stay.

Kaup Janardhanaswamy Temple on the Kaup Main Road, Udupi is a noted pilgrimage centre. The idol worshipped in this temple is Lord Mahavishnu, also known as Lord Janardhana. The temple has a history of over 800 years and is considered to be one among the oldest temples.

Chandramoulishwara Temple is one of the ancient temples located in Udupi town. As a result of its antique appearance, it is also referred to as Udupi's aajya. The prominent belief is that, one should visit this temple before visiting the Krishna temple. It is one of the best examples for the Chalukya architecture.

Construction of the temple proves its history dating back to 7th or 8th century. It is said to be built at the same time as Ananteshwar Temple. The myth behind the origin of Chandramoulishwara Temple is quite interesting.

Once Lord Moon was cursed by Daksha Prajapathi. Lord Moon did penance to please Lord Shiva at this place. Since then the place came to be known as Chandramoulishwara. The location of this temple is 3 km from Manipal, 6 km from Malpe, 60 km from Mangalore and 30 km from Kundapur. The nearest airport and railway station is at Mangalore.

Padubidri is a small, busy and beautiful town in Udupi. The place is famous for the many ancient temples present there. The Maha Ganapathi Temple there is one among the many places to be visited and is frequented by a large number of people round the year.

The idol of Lord Ganapathi here is 2.5 ft tall and is carved out of stone. Researchers say that this idol dates back to the 11th century A.D. The place is well connected by rail, road and air. It is just 18 km from Udupi. Many luxury tourist buses operate from all the important cities like Bangalore, Pune, etc. to this place.

NH 17 also passes through Padubidri. The place is connected by Konkan Railway Line too if you decide to travel by train. Mangalore Airport is the closest airport and this airport handles domestic as well as international flights. Hence, access to this place is not a challenge at all for travellers.

Saligrama is in the Udupi district on NH17 road. There is a huge temple devoted to Guru Narasimha. The temple is said to have a history of 1000 years. It is believed that Narad Maharshi placed the idol of Guru Narasimha in its current place and then eventually transformed into the current temple structure over the years.

The annual car festival held here is very famous and is attended by many devotees from all over the state as well as from neighbouring states. The place is located somewhat in the middle of Udupi and Kundapur.

It is about 21 km north of Udupi and about 81 km from Mangalore. You can get there very easily via NH17. Bus service is available and you can get direct buses from Bangalore to Saligrama. Once you have reached there, for local means of transport there are lots of autos and taxis. Lots of lodging facilities are available in Mangalore and Udupi for visitors.

Anegudde means elephant hillock and it is considered as the land of the Hindu god, Sri Vinayaka. This place is very important for pilgrims since this is one of the seven pilgrimage spots in the Parashurama Srishti. This region is believed to be created by sage Parashurama himself.

The main idol of Sri Vinayaka is a towering and majestic figure covered in silver. The unique feature of this idol is its standing posture. Thulabharam is the most important offering made in the temple where the devotees offer valuables equivalent in weight of a person. All around the shrine, depictions from Bhargava Purana are engraved in sculptures.

The place is situated in Kumbhashi which is about 9 kilometres from Kundapur and about 84 kilometres from Mangalore. The place is located on the NH 17 itself. There is frequent bus service to this place from Mangalore, Udupi and Kundapur. The nearest airport is at Mangalore.

Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Temple at Hattiangadi dates back to the 8th century. This temple is in Kundapur Taluk and houses the idol of Lord Vinayak. This historical place is a famous pilgrimage centre for Hindus all around the country. This temple is near the river Varahi.

It is the only idol in India where Lord Vinayaka is seen having jata-hair. The idol with 2.5 ft height is made in saligrama stone. The lord's trunk is bent towards the left. Special poojas are offered to the lord on various occasions.

The title Siddhi is bestowed on the lord since he is believed to grant his devotees wishes. Hattiangadi is just 8 km northeast of Kundapur. You can go to Hattiangadi only after getting to Udupi. After reaching Udupi travel towards Kundapur and from there to Murudeswara. After travelling for about 9 km on this road take a right turn and you will reach this divine temple.