21 places to visit in Udupi

 

The Mangalore Airport is the closest airport to Udupi. From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to reach the city. When it comes to travelling by road there are many KSRTC buses and also other private buses that one can take to reach Udupi. There are also taxis and auto rickshaws that one can use to travel here. When it comes to travelling by train to reach Udupi one can get down either at  Mangalore Central Railway station or even at Udupi Railway station.  From there one can take either a bus or a taxi to travel. The best time to visit Udupi is during the winter season which is from the months of October to March because the weather is pleasant during this time.

 

There are many places where one can stay in Udupi. The prices too are affordable. Some of the names of the places are Kediyoor Hotels,  Hotel Srinivasa Residency, White Lotus Hotel, Rukmini Residency, Zone 51 Malpe,etc. There are also many places where one can eat food at. Some of the names of the restaurants are Woodlands Restaurant, Hotel MTR, Saffron Vegetarian Cuisine, Gokul Krishna, Kediyoor Gazebo,etc.

Shri Krishna Temple

This is also called the Shri Krishna Matha. The temple is a Vaishnavite one and is founded by the Saint Jagadguru Sri Madhvacharya. A special feature of this temple is that one can worship the deity here through a silver plated window that has nine holes and it is called as the Navagraha Kindi. The temple is quite famous all over the world for its customs and teachings in Dvaita philosophy and many tourists who are interested in learning about this come here to do the same.

 

Pajaka village

This village is the birthplace of the founder of the Shri Krishna Matha Temple Jagadguru Sri Madhvacharya. Here one finds the home of Sri Madhava and there are many archaeological evidences which show that he lived there. It is believed that a big old banyan tree here was actually planted by him. The Kunjarugiri Durga Temple  is another temple which one can visit and this temple is located on top of a hill from where one can see beautiful views of Udupi.

 

Malpe Beach

For all those who love beaches they should definitely visit Malpe Beach. Earlier this place was known for its settlement of the Mogaveera fishermen community here. At this beach one can indulge in many water sports activities such as jet ski, parasailing, etc. This beach has a massive shoreline on which one finds four beautiful islands from which St.Mary's Island is quite popular.

 

St. Mary's Island

St. Mary's Island is the most popular island of Malpe Beach. This island is also known as Coconut Island. Millions of years ago due to volcanic activities on this island one finds rare crystallized basalt rock formations here. It is because of these rock formations that the island gets its unique landscape. Here one can also find a geological museum which one can visit.

 

Daria Bahadurgad Fort

The Daria Bahadurgad Fort is another place that one finds on one of the four islands of the Malpe Beach. This fort today however is in ruins but during sunset the view from this fort is beautiful as the entire sky turns into various shades of pink. Near the fort one can go and visit one of the Mangalorean tile factories in order to understand how tiles are made.

 

Kodi beach

Another famous beach that one can visit is the Kodi beach. The term Kodi means shore. This beach is also known as the Delta Beach. The beach is also the meeting point of the River Suvarna with the Arabian Sea. A speciality of this beach is that it is surrounded by water on three sides which is what makes it unique. One should try seafood here as it is quite popular here.

 

Mattu Beach

Mattu Beach is not a very popular beach, not many people know about it or visit it. This beach has water on both sides. It is a very quiet place. However this beach is best to be visited at night because of the bioluminescence that takes place here. At night the water glows and emits a blow light that happens because of the bloom of a microorganism called Noctiluca which gets disturbed. One can just sit and admire the beautiful sparkling water here.

 

Barkur

Barkur is another interesting place which one can visit. It is located on the banks of the River Seetha.This place is actually a cluster of three villages which are Kachoor, Hosala and Hanehalli. In the olden times this place was the capital of the ancient Alupa Kingdom. One finds here over eleven temples each having their own importance. An interesting thing to note about these temples is that unlike other temples here,these temples do not have gopurams. There is also the Barkur fort here with few remains of the ancient Alupa Kingdom.