Temples & Legends

Udupi, a small town in South Karnataka, about 60 km to the north of Mangalore has one of the most famous temples of Krishna. This beautiful temple has many stories associated with it. Hope you enjoy reading them, and maybe visiting the temple too…

The story of Kanaka Dasa

Kanaka Dasa was an ardent devotee of Shri Krishna. He longed to have just one glimpse of his Beloved Lord. He was waiting outside the temple, hoping to catch one glimpse. Just then the temple priest caught sight of him. He chided him, “What are you doing here? Don’t you know the likes of you are not allowed in here? You will defile the temple..Go away!!”

Kanaka Dasa was born into the so called lower caste. For no fault of his own, he was being denied entry into the temple. Tears streamed down his cheeks, as he sat outside the temple compound, not knowing what to do. He was missing his Beloved Krishna terribly. He asked Bhagwan, “Did you not call me here? Did you not promise me one glimpse of Your Majestic self? Is it too much that I am asking for? What sin have I done, that I can’t even see you once?” His piteous cries would have melted even the hardest of rocks. And how could Bhagwan turn a deaf ear to his dearest devotee?

Just then a dark complexioned small boy with curly hair came upto Kanaka Dasa. He sat on his lap, wiped his tears and told him, “I will tell you a secret. To have a  Darshan of Krishna, you only need to go to the back side of the temple. There is a small gap in the wall there. No one will see you or bother you.” Kanaka Dasa asked, “But I belong to a lower caste, will the temple be made impure if I go there?” The little boy smiled a sweet smile, “Didn’t Krishna himself ask you to come here? And are we not all children of the same God? Just go in…”

Kanaka Dasa walked in through the temple gates. No one noticed him. Then he walked around to the back of the temple. There was the small gap in wall as told by the boy. Kanaka Dasa peered inside. He could see Shri Krishna’s back. He wished with all his heart, “If only I could my Lord’s beautiful face with his lotus eyes…once…Just once…” And he closed his eyes…When he opened them again, he was amazed… Krishna was standing there, facing him!!! The unthinkable had happened. Krishna’s idol had turned around just so that His devotee could see Him!!! And in that idol of Shri Krishna, Kanaka Dasa saw the face of the little boy who had talked to him just a while ago… smiling a mischievous little smile…

To this day, Krishna’s idol stands facing the window in the wall facing the west,  through which he gave Darshan to Kanaka Dasa. The window is called “Kanakana kindi”.

The story of Shri Krishna’s idol

The diety worshipped in the temple is Bal Krishna, the boy form of Shri Krishna.

In the thirteenth centuary, the great saint Madhavacharya was meditating on the western sea coast. He sensed that some ship was in danger in the storm that was ravaging the sea. He prayed to Lord Vishnu, and he signaled to the ship using his garment, thereby helping it to reach the shore safely.  The grateful sailor beseeched the sage to choose any gift from his ship. Madhavacharya chose a rock from the ship. When a piece of the rock got chipped away, it revealed the idol of Shri Krishna. The saint by the power of his inner vision divined that this was the same idol which was long ago worshipped by Rukmini. Rukmini, wishing to worship the boy form of Shri Krishna, had requested for an idol of Bal Krishna. Krishna had entrusted Vishwakarma with this task. Vishwakarma made a beautiful idol of Bal krishna with the holy saaligrama stone and gave it to Rukmini for worship.

The idol, in the course of being worshipped by hundreds of devotees at Dwaraka with the application of sandalwood paste, got completely covered with the sandalwood paste. During the great flood which engulfed Dwaraka at the end of the era of Shri Krishna, this idol got washed away and lost.

It is believed that this is the same idol which is now placed at the temple.

The temple

Udupi Krishna temple complex consists of three different temples, one temple pond, a few mathas, a kalyana mantapa (reception hall) and a goshala (cow shed). 

The green pond next to temple is the same pond where Madhvacharya bathed the famed Balakrishna idol before installing it in the shrine. That gave this pond or pushkarni the name – Madhwa sarovar. The pond is used for ritualistic baths by the temple priests.

The main hall of the temple, called the Chandrasala Hall, has a platform where an eternal temple lamp or the Deepsthamba is erected. The main shrine stands in the center boarded by a window with nine holes, signifying the 9 avatars of Lord Vishnu. This is the Kanakana kindi. It is also called the Navagraha Kitiki and one can view the Balakrishna statue only through this. At one end of the Chandrasala hall, there is a statue of Hanuman while at another end is one of Sri Madhavacharya himself. The temple has a community hall which provides free meal to hundreds of people daily.

Opposite to the temple kitchen is the shrine of Lord Subramanya. A small hall of stone memorials can be found opposite the Subramanya shrine. This hall of samadhis (called Brindavana) honors several learned scholars of the Udupi Sri Krishna mathas. They are primarily mortal remains of yatis (priests or monks) who have either died or have willingly sacrificed their mortal form.

In front of the Madhwa sarovar, are the decorated chariots of Udupi Krishna temple. These are generally used during festivals when the idol of Sri Krishna is taken out and driven around the temple. 

May Shri Krishna bestow his grace upon you in abundance. Jai Shri Hari!🙏🙏🙏