The headquarters of
Udupi District, Udupi is a Vaishnavite coastal town placed 60 km from
Mangalore and 380 km from
Bangalore. Blessed with temples, it is also popular as a pilgrim town. Madhawacharya, a great Sanskrit philosopher of the 12th century, was born here.
Sri Krishna Temple famous for its golden chariot and Kanakana Kindi (a window through Krishna gave darshan to his devotee-kanakadasa), Chandramauleshwara temple and Anantheshwara temple are the landmarks. All these are ancient temples with legends associated with them.
Udupi is a major center for education, social and religious activities. It is also noted for its style of cooking, and a number of restaurants can be found in the vicinity. Paryaya, a colorful festival celebrated once in two years, attracts thousands of devotees from all over the country. Accommodation facilities are available in Udupi.
Manipal (3 km east), Malpe (6 km west), Brahmavar (13 km) and Maravanthe (50 km) are nearby. Udupi can be reached by road from Bangalore and Mysore. Mangalore Airport, 60 km south, is the closest aerodrome. Udupi is on the new Konkan railway line and is connected to Mumbai and Delhi.