Udupi acquired nation-wide fame, when it was turned into a unique seat of Vedantic learning in the 13th century under the leadership of Sri Madhvacharya. Apart from his contributions to Vedantic philosophy, Sri Madhva founded the famous Krishna Temple of Udupi and made it the fountain-head of a new devotional movement, which eventually spread all over the country.

A detailed account of the episode of the installation of Sri Krishna's image at Udupi is available in a commentary written by Sri Raghuvarya Theertha of 17th century, a pontiff of Palimar Mutt. The episode is as follows. Devaki, the mother of Lord Krishna, had not seen the charming feats and frolies of his childhood at Gokula. Therefore, she once entreated Krishna in his adulthood at Dwaraka to show her one of those frolis of his childhood.

In response to his mother's wish, Lord Krishna once again assumed the form of his childhood, climbed up the laps of Devaki as she was churning curds, sucked her breast-milk, broke pots of curds, swallowed lumps of butter, and stood up with the churning rod in one hand and the churning rope in another, after snatching them away from his mother's hands. Devaki's joy knew no bounds, as she witnessed this sport of the Lord. Rukmini, who also sighted this childhood posture of the Lord requested him to get an image of it carved out in Shalagrama Shila for her daily worship. When Krishna departed from earth at the close of Dwapara Yuga, this rare image was deposited by Arjuna at a holy spot called Rukmini Vana in Dwaraka. In the course of the Kali Yuga, a merchant carried this image as merchandise from Dwaraka, mistaking it for a clod of Gopichandan in which the image lay hidden. The ship was wrecked near the sea-shore of Vadabhandeshwar (near Malpe port) Madhvacharya came to know the wreckage of the ship by intuition, got the image dug out of the ship, kept it immersed for a few days in the holy tank of his mutt, and installed it for worship on an auspicious Makara Sankranthi day, nearly 700 years ago. Hence forth, Lord Krishna became the presiding deity of Udupi. He is the source of happiness and salvation of all good people. Madhva installed this image of Krishna with the avowed purpose of removing all obstacles and relieving the pains, which beset His devotees on their way to salvation. 

 


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