Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi, karnataka

Date built:	13th Century
Deity:	–
Architectural style:	Dravidian architecture
Major festivals	–
Locale:	Udupi
District::	Udupi
Address:	Temple Car St, Sri Krishna Temple Complex, Thenkpete, Maruthi Veethika, Udupi, Karnataka 576101
Phone	08202520598

Udupi Sri Krishna Matha (Tulu:ಉಡುಪಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಮಠ) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to god Krishna and Dvaita Matha 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

Architecture

The 9-holed window, also known as the Kanakadasa window, is attached to a wall in the Chandrasala hall. The hall lends itself a sublime ambiance in aid of the holy sound made by numerous bells hanging at its arched entrance, as well as the beautiful glow of the earthen lamps burning in the hall. Devotees either sit there in meditation saying silent prayers or try to peep through the 9-holed window to get a glimpse of the Lord. One corner of the hall holds the shrine of Lord Hanuman in a meditative pose.

Overlooking the Chandrasala hall is a four-pillared raised platform with a silver roof. The platform houses the traditional deepastambam, holding the sacred oil lamp.

On the right side of the main sanctum in the path of circumambulation stands the statue of the temple’s founder Shri Madhvacharya, while on the northern side of his statue stands the shrine of Lord Panduranga.The holy tank Madhwapushkarani is placed next to the southern entrance of the temple. The eastern entrance to Shri Balkrishna’s sanctum sanctorum is strikingly beautiful flanked by a panchadhatu (5 metals) figure of Lord Vishnu mounted on his Garuda holding conch and discus. The eastern entrance usually remains closed and is open only once a year on the day of Vijaya Dashami.

Legend / Local stories

The Krishna Matha was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Jagadguru 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(facing West). All the other murtis in other Ashta mutts face west as well. Devotees always have darshan of Lord Krishna through the inner window, known as Navagraha kindi & the outer window known as Kanakana kindi, which 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.

According to mythology, when Lord Krishna’s wife Rukmini requested her husband for the idol of Balkrishna, the child form of the Lord, Shri Krishna entrusted Vishwakarma with the task of designing the idol. Vishwakarma made a beautiful idol of Balkrishna 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. It is believed that this same idol is now placed at the temple.