Udupi Krishna Temple

Udupi Shri Krishna Matha
Udupi Shri Krishna Matha Location in Karnataka
Name
Proper name	Udupi Sri Krishna Matha
Geography
Coordinates	13°19′56″N 74°44′46″E / 13.33222°N 74.74611°E / 13.33222; 74.74611Coordinates: 13°19′56″N 74°44′46″E / 13.33222°N 74.74611°E / 13.33222; 74.74611
Country	India
State	Karnataka
Location	Udupi
Culture
Primary deity	Krishna
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture
History and governance
Date built	13th Century

Udupi Sri Krishna Matha (Kannada:ಉಡುಪಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಮಠ) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to god Krishna located in the city of Udupi in Karnataka, India.

The matha area resembles a living ashram, a holy place for daily devotion and living. Surrounding the Sri Krishna Matha are several temples namely the Udupi Anantheshwara Temple which is over a 1,000 years old.

The Krishna Matha was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhwacharya in the 13th century. He was the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. It is believed that Madhwacharya found the murti of Sri Krishna in a large ball of gopichandana.

As told by Sri Madhwacharya, in his Tantrasara Sangraha, the murti is placed Pashchimabhimukha. All the other murtis in other Ashta mutts are facing Western side as well. Once Kanakadasa, a pious worshipper and devotee of Lord Krishna, was staying in a makeshift hermitage in front of Krishna mutt. Despite him being a ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, he was not allowed to enter the temple as he was an untouchable. However, pleased with his devoutness, the idol facing the direction of east turned to west and there was a crack in the wall wide enough for Kanakadasa to have darshana of the murti. Even today the devotees worship Lord Krishna through this window. It is known as Kanakanakhindi, and is decorated by an arch named after him. A statue has also been erected. A similar window covers the immediate front of the murti and is called Navagraha kindi. It is often mistaken to be Kanakana kindi.

The temple opens by 5.30 in the morning. The unique feature of the temple is that the deity is worshipped through the silver plated window with nine holes (Navagraha kindi). The temple also offers prasadam (lunch) in the noon.