Udupi

Get in

Udupi is well-connected with the cities on India's west coast. NH-66 (formerly NH-17) runs right through Udupi, connecting it to Mumbai and Goa to the North and Mangalore and Kochi to the South. Konkan Railway connects Udupi to the same cities. The city is around 406 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. Rail connectivity with Bangalore is good, but travelling by road is a good option, as you are exposed to the beauty of the nature. The road journey through Agumbe ghats is really mesmerizing.

Get around

Buses, cabs and auto-rickshaws are ways to get around the city. Udupi has excellent city bus services run by various private companies. Buses generally start and end at the main bus stand. There are bus stops throughout the city. Ask around. Tickets can be bought once you board or from the conductor just before boarding. Rates start from ₹5 per 2 km.

See

Udupi has some nice beaches, lush greenery, the quaint charm of a small town and many temples. Many of the places to visit are not very well known to many people outside of Udupi. If you are an adventurous person who loves nature, there is a lot to explore in Udupi.

Do

Udupi has some great beaches, but thankfully, they aren't big water sports destinations like Goa, though there are some options. If you are the adventurous sort, you can head south to Mulki, Mangalore where the Ashram surf retreat combines surfing with spiritualism.

If the mountains are what you are after, turn east to Karkala, where Agumbe and other places provide some excellent trekking opportunities.

For a cultural experience, try to catch a performance of Yakshagana, a Bhoota Kola or a Naga Mandala. The latter two are essentially religious rituals, but a sight to watch. The Yakshagana is a genre of dance-drama that is native to the Karavali region. The performances are advertised only in local Kannada newspapers, so it might be somewhat difficult to catch them. Also, to fully appreciate Yakshagana, you need to understand Kannada or Tulu.

Buy

thumb|300px|Merchants at the temple. Shopping at Ratha BeediWhile Udupi, like any other city of moderate size, offers many opportunities to shop, and the Ratha Beedi area around the temple is a popular and interesting destination to buy what the city is best known for. Most people who visit the temple combine their religious sojourn with a shopping expedition. On festive occasions, the area around the Krishna temple comes abuzz with many temporary shops set up for the occasion.

Befitting Udupi's status as a culinary paradise, many of the items on the must-shop list at Ratha Beedi are culinary. Snacks and juice extracts top the list. Spices and oils used in traditional Udupi cooking can also be bought here. Shops that sell vessels and other implements used to prepare Udupi-style cuisine are scattered all over the street. Among these are aluminium pans to make guliyappa and the aruvamane used to scrape coconuts.

Other items to look out for are wood handicraft items such as agarbatti stands, idols of deities, and altars. This is also a good place to buy Ayurvedic medicines and massage oils.

Saaru powder (Saarina Hudi), Sambhar powder part of world famous Udupi cuisine and Coconut oil. Pickles made from Mango, Lemon and different vegetables. Cotton wicks (Bathi) used to light lamp in front of Gods, Incense sticks (Udinabathi) and other Pooja /Japa/ Homa /Havan related items at Car street (Ratha beedi) near to Krishna Matha at Udupi city. Happala (Pappad) and Sandige made from …

Drink

It is fair to say that Udupi, being a temple town, is not a great place to have alcoholic drinks, and this sleepy town is not known for a vibrant night life. Manipal, however, is a short hop away from the city centre, famous for its student population, and this is where you go if you want a drink.

You can try the unfermented toddy which is extracted early morning from coconut trees. This can usually be found near the beaches. Be very very careful about the quality and safety, however.

Sleep

thumb|300px|Kaup Beach, Udupi Hotels are reasonably priced and cheap. Most hotels are concentrated around the city centre and the temple. The other option is to look for a hotel near Manipal, which is more expensive. The Paradise Island Beach Resort (see under "Do") is an option if you are looking for a beach holiday.There are many Chatra's or Choultry's in and around Shri Krishna Matha, Birla Chatra(Telephone :0820-2521624),Krishna Dhama (Telephone:0820-2522679), Vidya Samudra Choultry( Telephone:0820-2520820), Bhuvaraha guest house(Telephone:0820-2525150),Adhokshaja Mandira(0820-2524178),Vijayadwaja (Telephone:0820-2521328). The 8 Mathas offer comfortable rooms, adjacent to Krishna Temple Parking Area, which can be booked only in-person. Rates begin from 2000 per night.

Go next

To the west of Udupi lies the historic town of Karkala, which is a major religious centre for Jainism. There stands a 42-feet statue of the saint Bahubali (known as Gomateshwara), completely naked, as is the custom. At Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada district, there is a Jain temple with thousand pillars (saavira kambada basadi).

There are many Hindu religious sites in the neighbourhood of Udupi. At Kollur in Byndoor taluk, there is a famous temple dedicated to the Goddess Mookambika.thumb|300px|Temple elephant at UdupiFurther north is Uttara Kannada, home to many nice beaches like the Murudeshwar beach, around 150 km away, and Gokarna beach, around 250 km away. North of Uttara Kannada is Goa, which is around 5 hours by car.

Other attractions Hanging Bridge (Suspension Bridge) - around 15 km from Udupi near Kemmannu (Thonse). The best to visit is 5PM. The place is near Kemmannu. Kudlu Theertha - a trek amidst the forest to the waterfall on the way to Agumbe via Hebri. Barkur Sirsi Karwar Horanadu