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Temples and cuisine, these two words always comes into my mind whenever I hear the name of the Udupi city. The lush green mountains of the Western Ghats on the east and the beaches on the west, reached through National Highway 17, welcome you to the most sacred and beautiful land in Karnataka.  Udupi, also known as Rajata Peetha, is a centre of pilgrimage situated about 55 km north of Mangalore city. The hospitality, love, affection and concern of the people of this land present a very homely atmosphere for the visitors. The place is the land of Lord Krishna, who is the centre of attraction here. For ages, it has flourished many art forms.  People here are known for their peace-loving and cooperative nature. Tulu is the mother tongue of a large number of people here, Hindi and English are also understood. The term Udupi (also Udipi) is also synonymous with delicious vegetarian food now found all over the world. Popular Udupi dishes are Kashi Halwa (made from musk pumpkin, jack fruit, banana and bottle gourd), Kosambri, Payasa (a type of kheer), Patrode (colocasia leaves dipped in batter and steam-cooked) and many others. The start and end of meal is marked by saying “Govinda”, the name of Lord Krishna.  Udupi is also very famous for the Shri Krishna Temple, which has been shown in the globe-trekker series on TV as well and lends its name to the popular Udupi cuisine. Be with me as I explore the famous Shri Krishna Mutt (Temple of Lord Krishna) and its beautiful Malpa beach and port. |
