Udupi

The Krishna temple at Udupi was founded by the thirteenth-century philosopher Madhvacharya, and it has a peculiarity: the image is not viewed directly through a door but through the Kanakana Kindi, a small silver-plated window with nine holes, a practice explained by a story about a devotee of low caste who was refused entry and for whom the wall turned. Eight mathas around the temple take the administration in rotation, each for two years, in a ceremony called Paryaya. The temple kitchen and its feeding tradition produced Udupi cuisine, the vegetarian style that spread through South Indian restaurants across India and abroad.

What you actually see

• The Kanakana Kindi - the nine-holed window the image is viewed through.
• The eight mathas - the monasteries taking the temple in rotation.
• The temple kitchen - the feeding tradition behind Udupi cooking.
• The town restaurants - dosa, idli and the cuisine at its source.

When to go

October to February for dry weather; the Paryaya handover happens in January every two years and is the largest event. The coastal monsoon from June to September is very heavy.

Honest expectations

Dress codes at the temple are enforced, with men often required to remove shirts. Photography inside is prohibited. The town is small with limited to see beyond the temple complex.

Nearby

St Mary's Islands lie offshore at Malpe; Murudeshwar is north.