Udupi

This article is about the city Udupi. For its namesake district, see Udupi district. For the parliamentary constituency, see Udupi (Lok Sabha constituency).

Municipal Area in Karnataka, India

Udupi

Municipal Area

Madhva sarovara of Udupi Sri Krishna Temple

Udupi in Karnataka

Coordinates: 13°20′20″N 74°44′42″E﻿ / ﻿13.3389°N 74.7451°E﻿ / 13.3389; 74.7451
Country|  India
State| Karnataka
District| Udupi
MP| Kota Srinivas Poojary
MLA| Yashpal Anand Suvarna
Area

• Municipal Area

| 68.33 km2 (26.38 sq mi)
Elevation

| 27 m (89 ft)
Population

(2011)[1][2]

• Municipal Area

| 215,500
• Density| 3,200/km2 (8,200/sq mi)
• Metro

| 436,208
Time zone| UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN|

576101 – 576108

Telephone code| 0820
Vehicle registration| KA-20
Official language| Kannada[3]
Website| www.udupicity.mrc.gov.in

Udupi (Kannada: [uɖupi]) also known as 'Odipu' (Tulu: [oɖipu])[4] is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Udupi district, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Karnataka. Udupi is one of the top tourist attractions in Karnataka and has various educational institutions. It is notable for the Krishna Temple and is also known as the temple city.[5] It also lends its name to the popular Udupi cuisine, is also known as Parashurama Kshetra,[6] and is famous for Kanakana kindi.[7] A centre of pilgrimage, Udupi is known as Rajatha Peetha pura

## Etymology

[edit]

The name 'Udupi' is derived from Tulu word "odipu", which means "emergence". It is also believed that it came from the Sanskrit word "Udupa", meaning "Moon".[6]

## History

[edit]

In the 13th century, Vaishnavite saint Madhvacharya founded the Sri Krishna Temple.[8] He set up eight mathas – Ashta Mathas in Udupi to propagate the Dvaita Vedanta philosophy, and this caused a vibrant temple culture to take root in present-day Udupi district.[8] Significant migration of Brahmins to the region took place subsequently, and they came to comprise 10 per cent of the region's population, three times higher than elsewhere in South India.[8]

## Demographics

[edit]

Religions in Udupi (2011)[9]

Religion |  | Percent
Hinduism |

| 84.74%
Islam |

| 8.04%
Christianity |

| 6.91%
Other or not stated |

| 0.31%

Udupi city is part of the eponymous district in Karnataka, India. As per the census in 2011, Udupi city has 33,987 households and a total population of 144,960, of which 71,614 are males and 73,346 are females.[10] The population of scheduled castes is 8,385 while that of scheduled tribes is 6,774.[10] The city population is growing at a rate of 14.03%.[10]

Languages of Udupi (2011)[11]

1. Tulu (52.1%)
2. Kannada (16.95%)
3. Konkani (15.01%)
4. Urdu (6.04%)
5. Marathi (3.42%)
6. Malayalam (2.01%)
7. Tamil (1.07%)
8. Others (3.4%)

The most spoken language in Udupi town is Tulu. Kannada and Konkani are also spoken in Udupi town. Dakhini Urdu and Beary are spoken by Muslims in the region.[citation needed]

## Government and politics

[edit]

Udupi city falls under the Udupi Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency and the Udupi Chikmagalur State assembly constituency and is represented by the Member of Parliament Kota Srinivas pujari[12][13] and Member of Legislative Assembly, Yashpal Suvarna.[14]

### Civic Administration

[edit]

Udupi, which previously had a Town Municipal Council now has a City Municipal Council which came into existence in 1995.[15] Areas around Udupi, such as Manipal,[16] Parkala, Malpe, Udyavara and Santhekatte were merged to form the City Municipal Council.[17]

The city of Udupi is governed by the City Municipal Council and has 35 wards[18] spread across an area of 75.92 km2 (29.31 sq mi).[10] It is headed by Anand C Kallolikar, the Municipal Commissioner.[19][20] The city council has departments for health, urban planning, technical division, revenue, finance, birth and death, and Day-NULM.[21]

### Civic Utility

[edit]

The master plan of the city is prepared by the Udupi Urban Development Authority (UUDA)[22] and the Directorate of Town and Country Planning.[23]

The city receives its primary source of drinking water from water stored at Baje vented dam.[24] The municipality also seeks to augment its water storage by pumping water accumulated in the Swarna River at Sanebettu.[24][25] The city is divided into three zones with different timings for efficient water supply.[26] It also received a loan of $75 million from the Asian Development Bank to have all round the clock water supply in 2018.[27][28]

The city has both open and closed drains.[10] The underground sewage network exists in only 20% of the city's area as of 2017, but has been proposed to increase from the present 82 kilometres to 143 kilometres.[15] The municipality area generated 46 million litres (MLD) of sewage which is treated at a sewage treatment plant in Nittur.[29]

## Geography and climate

[edit]

Udupi has an elevation of 27 m (89 ft) above mean sea level.[30] The climate in Udupi is hot in summers and pleasant in winter. During summers (from March to May) the temperature reaches up to 38 °C (100 °F) and in winters (from December to February) it is usually between 32 and 20 °C (90 and 68 °F). As it is a coastal area, there are a few beaches which are tourist attractions. Kaup beach, Malpe beach are two of the beaches in Udupi.

The monsoon period is from June to September, with rainfall averaging more than 4,000 mm (160 in) every year and heavy winds.

Climate data for Udupi

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 32.8
(91.0)  | 33.5
(92.3)  | 33.6
(92.5)  | 34.2
(93.6)  | 33.3
(91.9)  | 29.7
(85.5)  | 28.0
(82.4)  | 28.4
(83.1)  | 29.5
(85.1)  | 30.9
(87.6)  | 32.3
(90.1)  | 32.8
(91.0)  | 31.6
(88.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 20.8
(69.4)  | 21.8
(71.2)  | 23.6
(74.5)  | 25
(77)  | 25.1
(77.2)  | 23.4
(74.1)  | 22.9
(73.2)  | 23
(73)  | 23.1
(73.6)  | 23.1
(73.6)  | 22.4
(72.3)  | 21.2
(70.2)  | 23.0
(73.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 1.1
(0.04)  | 0.2
(0.01)  | 2.9
(0.11)  | 24.4
(0.96)  | 183.2
(7.21)  | 1,177.2
(46.35)  | 1,350.4
(53.17)  | 787.3
(31.00)  | 292.1
(11.50)  | 190.8
(7.51)  | 70.9
(2.79)  | 16.4
(0.65)  | 4,096.9
(161.30)
[citation needed]

## Culture

[edit]

Yakshagana in Udupi Nagapatri at Belle Brahmastana

Bhuta Kola, Aati kalenja, Karangolu, and Nagaradhane are some cultural traditions of Udupi. The residents celebrate festivals such as Makara Sankranti, Nagara Panchami, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri, Deepavali. Folk arts like Yakshagana are also popular.[citation needed]

During Krishna Janmashtami, Pili Yesa, a traditional folk dance originated in Udupi is demonstrated on the streets. "Pili Yesa" translates to Tiger.

## Cuisine

[edit]

Main article: Udupi cuisine

Masala dosa is a part of Udupi cuisine.

The origin of this cuisine is linked to Krishna Matha (Mutt). Lord Krishna is offered food of different varieties every day, and there are certain restrictions on ingredients during Chaturmasa (a four-month period during the monsoon season). These restrictions coupled with the requirement of variety led to innovation, especially in dishes incorporating seasonal and locally available materials.[31] This cuisine was developed by Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins who cooked food for Lord Krishna, and at Krishna Matha in Udupi, the food is provided free of cost. Restaurants specialised in Udupi cuisine can be seen widely in most metropolitan and large cities around the length and breadth of India.

Although popular for its vegetarian cuisine, Udupi has its fair share of non-vegetarian dishes that are similar to Mangalorean cuisine. Some of these include Kori Roti, Kori Pulimunchi, Chicken Sukka, Fish Curry, Fish Fry and more.

## Economy

[edit]

Udupi is becoming a major town in Karnataka. Udupi is the birthplace of the Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank.[32][33] Udupi's economy also consists of agriculture and fishing. Small-scale industries like the cashew industry, and other food industries and milk cooperatives are the most prominent. Recently, Udupi is also making its mark in the real estate industry, greatly influenced by its neighboring spearhead Mangalore.

The Karnataka government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cogentrix Light and Power Industry to set up a thermal power plant in the district at Nandikur.[34] However, because of stiff opposition from citizens and environmentalist groups, the project has been temporarily suspended. An attempt by the Nagarjuna Power Corporation to set up a similar plant at nearby Padubidri also met strong opposition. Now, the power plant has been set up, generating 1,200 MW of power under the name of Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), a subsidiary of Lanco Infra, an Andhra Pradesh-based infrastructure major. Adani Power has taken over from Lanco Infra in 2014 for a sum of Rs 6,000 crores.[35] The opposition, however, continues.[36][37]

Manipal, a suburb of Udupi, is home to the headquarters of Syndicate Bank. It is renowned as an education and medical hub. Kasturba Medical College[38] and MIT (Manipal Institute of Technology)[39] are situated here.

TEBMA Shipyards Ltd is located in Malpe harbour complex. It is involved in building multipurpose platform supply vessels (MPSVs), platform supply vessel, geotechnical research vessel, dredgers and tugs for Indian as well as export markets.[40]

Udupi has a local handloom sari industry. Made of pure cotton and lightweight, the sari has art silk design on its border and pallu besides butta of art silk dotting it. Hard work, low returns, and competition from power loom has led to a drop in the number of weavers of nearly 95% over three decades.[41] A geographical indication tag for Udupi sarees is under examination with the Geographical Indications Registry of India.[42]

## Transport

[edit]

Udupi Sri Krishna Matha

National Highways NH 66 and NH 169A pass through Udupi. Other significant roads include the State Highways to Karkala, Dharmastala and Sringeri. NH 66 provides a link to Mangalore and Karwar via Kundapur and NH 169A to Hebri, Agumbe, Thirthahalli and Shivamogga. Private as well as government buses connect Udupi to all parts of Karnataka. Udupi has a railway station on the Konkan Railway. The nearest International Airport to Udupi is Mangalore International Airport, which is approx. 58.5 km away.

City and suburban transport is available for travel within Udupi and its suburbs. The buses originate from the suburban bus stand (City Bus Stand). There are private bus operators as well as KSRTC city service buses.

The nearest harbor/ port to Udupi is Malpe, which is 5 km away, and Gangolli (Byndoor), which is 36 km away. The New Mangalore Port is 50 km away from Udupi.

Udupi railway station is managed by Konkan Railways. It is in Indrali[43] about 4 km from Udupi city bus stand and is on the Kanyakumari-Mumbai rail route. Direct trains are available to Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Pune, Ajmer, Jaipur, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Okha. Cities like Mysore, Belgaum, Jodhpur, Agra, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kollam(Quilon), etc., are also connected to Udupi.[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

* Greater Udupi
* Udupi cuisine
* Udupi Krishna Temple
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Udupi
* Mangalore
* Manipal
* Udupi district

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Udupi District Population Census 2011, Karnataka literacy sex ratio and density". census2011.co.in. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
2. ^ "Cities having population 1 lakh and above, Census 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 24 September 2018.
3. ^ "50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India (July 2012 to June 2013)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
4. ^ "Zilla Panchayat Udupi". Archived from the original on 31 December 2023.
5. ^ "Karnataka / Udupi News : Temple town gearing up for the grand Paryaya". The Hindu. 31 December 2005. Retrieved 5 December 2016.[dead link]
6. ^ a b "Udupi Tourism | Blank Page".
7. ^ Hande, Shrinidhi. "Udupi Sri Krishna Temple". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
8. ^ a b c Chinmay Tumbe, India Moving: A History of Migration (2019), p.42
9. ^ "C-01 Population By Religious Community: Karnataka". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
10. ^ a b c d e "Census of India 2011, Karnataka, Town Amenities Handboox". Census of India. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
11. ^ "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Karnataka (Urban)". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
12. ^ "Members : Lok Sabha". loksabhaph.nic.in. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
13. ^ "Udupi City Municipal Council".[permanent dead link]
14. ^ "Udupi: Waste management unit - Residents oppose, MLA negotiates". www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
15. ^ a b "Udupi underground drainage to be expanded, 82 to 143 km". www.mangaloretoday.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
16. ^ Udupi Manipal Archived 4 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine from Manipal World News
17. ^ "About District | Udupi District | India". Retrieved 3 July 2024.
18. ^ "Udupi City Municipal Council".[permanent dead link]
19. ^ "Udupi Municipal Council City Staff".[permanent dead link]
20. ^ "Udupi divided into 3 zones for daily water supply". Deccan Herald. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
21. ^ "Udupi City Council". 13 October 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
22. ^ "'First-of-its-kind, UUDA layout to come up in Udupi' - Raghavendra Kini". www.daijiworld.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
23. ^ "Directorate of Town and Country Planning". Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
24. ^ a b Jaideep Shenoy (9 April 2020). "Karnataka: Udupi CMC authorities augment water storage at Baje dam | Mangaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
25. ^ "CMC pumping water from Baje dam for Udupi". www.mangaloretoday.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
26. ^ "Udupi divided into 3 zones for daily water supply". Deccan Herald. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
27. ^ Tripathy, Antara. "Karnataka's four coastal towns of Kundapura, Mangalore Puttur and Udupi and improve sanitation infrastructure for Mangalore town with GOI & ADB $75 Million LoanIBG News | IBG News". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
28. ^ IANS (27 November 2018). "ADB to lend $75 million for 24-hour water supply in four Karnataka towns". Business Standard India. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
29. ^ Prabhu, Ganesh (22 December 2018). "Waste water treatment plant proposed at Nittur". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
30. ^ "Elevation of Udupi town, Karnataka". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
31. ^ "'Jackfruit Mela-2015' brings Jackfruit lovers together". www.newskarnataka.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016.
32. ^ "Brief history of Syndicate Bank". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
33. ^ "History of Corporation Bank". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
34. ^ "Storm rages over Cogentrix project coming up in Karnataka". India Today. 15 August 1996. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
35. ^ "Adani buys Lanco plant in Rs 6,000 crore deal". The Times of India. 24 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
36. ^ PANIYADI, GURURAJ A (31 May 2020). "Activists ready to oppose expansion of Udupi Power Corporation Limited plant". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
37. ^ Kulkarni, Chiranjeevi (30 August 2019). "Amid NGT riders, Adani UPCL revives expansion bid". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
38. ^ "KMC Manipal". Retrieved 30 March 2014.
39. ^ "MIT Manipal". Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
40. ^ "Home". tebma.com.
41. ^ "It's Udupi's finest, but who's to weave them?, The Hindu". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
42. ^ "Status of GI Application Pending before the GI Registry as on March 31, 2015, pg 1" (PDF). Retrieved 1 April 2015.
43. ^ "Railway station | Udupi District | India". Retrieved 17 July 2020.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Shivaram, Choodie (11 August 1996). "Karnataka Spiritual Centers Threatened by Development: Three 700-Year-Old Monasteries in Udupi and Scores of Temples to be Displaced by Reckless Industrial Projects". Hinduism Today.
* "Conquer Vices To Sublimate The Mind". The Hindu. 29 January 1996. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2005.
* "Ashtha Muth and Paryaya". Udupi temples. Retrieved 12 December 2005.
* Dr.Neria H. Hebbar. "The Eight Tulu Monasteries of Udupi". Archived from the original on 6 January 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2005.
* Kundali dasa. "How Krishna Came to Udupi". www.krishna.com.
* Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983'. Government of Karnataka. 1983
* "Udupi Railway Station Information".
* "A brief life sketch of Madhwacharya". Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
* "Janmashtami celebrations end with Vittal Pindi procession". NewsKarnataka. 6 September 2015.
* Sri Udupi Kshetrada Naija Chitra Mattu Chaaritrika Hinnele [The Authentic Picture of Udupi Piligrim Center and its Historical Background]

## Further reading

[edit]

* Bhat, P. Gururaja (1969). Antiquities of South Kanara. Prabhakara Press.
* Govindacharya, Bannanje (2015). KŖȘŅANA UDUPI A brief History of Udupi Kannada. Īshāvāsya-Pratistāna, Udupi.

## External links

[edit]

Udupi at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Definitions from Wiktionary
* Media from Commons
* Travel information from Wikivoyage

* Udupi City Municipality Official Website
* Udupi Urban Development Authority Official Website
* Sri Udupi Kshetrada Naija Chitra Mattu Chaaritrika Hinnele [The Authentic Picture of Udupi Piligrim Center and its Historical Background]

Geographic locale

Lat. and Long.13°20′20.04″N 74°44′42.36″E﻿ / ﻿13.3389000°N 74.7451000°E﻿ / 13.3389000; 74.7451000

* v
* t
* e

Udupi District Topics

Taluks|

* Kundapura
* Udupi
* Karkala

Places|

* Udupi
* Brahmavara
* Kundapura
* Kalyanpura
* Manipal
* Karkala
* Saligrama
* Kemmannu
* Anegudde
* Baindur
* Greater Udupi
* Hattiangadi
* Hebri
* Hemmadi
* Hiriadka
* Hoovinakere
* Kanthavara
* Katapady
* Kunjarugiri
* Kaup (village)
* Malpe
* Vandse
* Shiroor
* Kollur
* Nitte
* Padubidri
* Pajaka
* Palimar
* Pangala
* Shankaranarayana
* Shankarapura
* Shirva
* Tonse West
* Uchila
* Udyavara
* Yennehole
* Yermal

Temples|

* Udupi
* Mookambika
* Nellitheertha
* Kollur
* Kateel
* Anegudde
* Padutirupathi
* Kanthavara
* Sri Maha Vishnumoorthy

Udupi cuisines|

* Saar or Sambar
* Kodel
* Spiced rice
* Ajethna or Dry Curry
* Kosambari or Slad
* kheer
* Idli
* Neer dosa
* Akki rotti or Rice Roti(Indian Bread)

Society|

* Beary
* Billava
* Bunt
* Konkani
* Kota
* Mogaveera
* Panar (Kundapura)
* Tuluva

Beaches|

* Kaup (village)
* Trasi
* Maravanthe
* St. Mary's Islands

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