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Udupi

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Udupi (Kannada & Tulu : ಉಡುಪಿ) is a town and the headquarters of the Udupi District in the Indian state of Karnataka. Udupi is famous for the Krishna temple located here. It also lends its name to the Udupi cuisine which is famous across the world.

Etymology

It is widely believed that the name of Udupi was derived from its Tulu name Odipu. The Tulu name in turn is associated with a temple at Malpe, devoted to Vadabhandeshwara. Another story is that the name Udupi came from the combination of the Sanskrit words Udu and Pa, which mean "stars" and "lord." According to legend, the moon's light was once reduced due to a curse by King Daksha, whose 27 daughters (the 27 stars, according to Hindu astrology) were married to the moon. The moon prayed to Lord Shiva to get back its original shine. Lord Shiva was pleased with the moon's prayer and restored its shine. Legend says that the moon and his wives made their prayer at the Chandramouleeshwara temple at Udupi, creating a linga that can be seen even today. According to this story, therefore, Udupi means the land of the "lord of the stars," the moon.

Religious significance

See also Udupi Krishna Temple
Udupi is known for the Krishna Mutt (Temple of Lord Krishna). The Krishna Mutt was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya in the 13th century. The daily sevas (offerings to god) and administration of the Krishna Mutt are managed by the Ashta Mathas (eight temples). Each of the Ashta Mathas performs temple management activities for two years in a cyclical order.

During the Paryaya festival, held every two years, the temple management is handed over to the next Matha. Each of the Mathas is headed by a Swami, who will be in charge of the temple during his Paryaya.

The Krishna Matha is known throughout the world for its religious customs, traditions, and learning in Dvaita or Tatvavaada philosophy. It is also the centre of Daasa Sahitya, a form of literature that originated in Udupi.

These eight Mathas are Pejavara, Puttige, Palimaru, Adamaru, Sodhe, Kaniyooru, Shirur and Krishnapura

Another important festival is Bhajana Saptaha which is held in Sri Laxmi Venkatesh Temple. Saptaha means one week. During this time Bhajans are sung continuously day and night. This falls around August every year.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, Udupi had a population of 113,039. Males constituted 49% of the population and females 51%. The average literacy rate was 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy was 86% and female literacy 81%. Eight percent of the population was under 6 years of age.

Mogaveeras,Billavas, Bunts, Konkanis (Goud Saraswat, Rajapur Saraswat, Kudalkar,Daivajna), Shivalli Brahmins, Koragas and Malekudiyas are some of the prominent communities in Udupi.

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

Udupi was carved out as a separate district from the erstwhile Dakshina kannada district on 25 August 1997. Udupi, Kundapura and Karkala were bifurcated from Dakshina Kannada District and Udupi district was formed.

Udupi Urban Development Authority(UUDA) is responsible for town planning and other related development activities in Udupi and surrounding areas.

Language

Tulu is the most widely spoken languages in Udupi. Other significant languages include Kannada, Konkani, Kundagannada (a dialect of Kannada spoken in Kundapur), and Beary bashe spoken by Bearys.

Cuisine

The term Udupi (also Udipi) is also synonymous with delicious vegetarian food now found all over world (see 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. 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.

Transportation

National Highway 17 passes through Udupi. Other significant roads include the State Highways to Karkala and Dharmastala and to Shimoga and Sringeri. The NH 17 provides a link to Mangalore and Karwar. Private as well as government buses connect Udupi to various parts of Karnataka. Udupi has a railway station on the Konkan Railway. The nearest airport to Udupi is Mangalore (Bajpe) Airport, which is 50 km away.

City and suburban transport is available for travel within Udupi and suburbs. The buses originate from the suburban bus stand (City Bus Stand). There are different route numbers.

The nearest harbour/port to udupi is Malpe, which is 5 km Away. New Mangalore Port/Harbour is 50 km away from Udupi.

Economy and industry

Udupi is becoming a major city of Karnataka. People here have the third highest average per-capita income in Karnataka according to a recent survey by a private firm, after Mangalore and Bangalore, which are in first and second place respectively.

Udupi's economy depends mainly on agriculture and fishing. Small-scale industries like the cashew industry, and other food industries and milk cooperatives are the most prominent. There is no large-scale industry in Udupi. 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. 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.

Udupi is also home to a well-known software company Robosoft Technologies, which is into product development for the Mac OS and Windows platforms. The company has brought Udupi a significant place in the global IT scenario. It is moving towards transforming this region into the 'Silicon Valley of India'.

Art and culture

Bhuta Kola, Aati Kalanja, Karangolu, and Nagaradhane are some of the cultural traditions of Udupi. The residents celebrate festivals such as Diwali, Dusshera and Christmas. Folk arts like Yakshagana are also popular.

Rathabeedhi Geleyaru, a local non-profit organisation, was founded to encourage creative pursuits, especially those that keep alive the traditions of the region. Its primary focus has been drama.

References

  1. http://www.udupipages.com/home/culture/culture.html
  2. http://www.udupipages.com/home/travel/beach.html
  3. http://www.robosoftin.com/ Software company in Udupi

See also

External links



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Last updated on Sunday July 13, 2008 at 11:09:27 PDT (GMT -0700)
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