Sri Krishna Temple, Udupi, is a very popular Temple in our country
and it is the most visited Temple by me! Certainly over 150 times and perhaps
very close to 200 times! While I was studying Bachelor of Engineering, 5-Year
Course, at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, from 1970 to 1975, it was
our practice to visit Sri Krishna Temple at Udupi / Udipi, every Saturday. The
Temple is under 7 km. from Manipal. This practice was started and was there
among my brother, Dr. Lakshminarsu and his friends who were my seniors at
Manipal, studying Bachelor of Dental Surgery at Kasturba Medical College,
Manipal. Every Saturday evening I used to go to my brother’s hostel and from
there we used to go in a group to Udupi and visit Sri Krishna Temple and the
nearby, very ancient Sri Anantheswara and Sri Chandramouleeshwara Temples.
After the visit to the Temples, we used to have heavy refreshments at Mitra
Samaj Hotel which is close to the Temple and sometimes at other popular eating
places in Udupi like Diana restaurant. When I completed my III-Year
Engineering, my brother completed his Graduation and left Manipal. And then I
continued this practice of visiting Sri Krishna Temple every Saturday with my
engineering college - junior, Alladi Raghu, who incidentally is my friend since
childhood and my neighbour at Secunderabad.
After a gap of 43 years, I visited Sri Krishna Temple - Udupi with
my wife a few days ago, on the evening of 2nd April 2018. We visited Sri
Krishna Temple, Sri Anantheswara and Sri Chandramouleeshwara Temples and had
good Darshans of the presiding Deities. However, we could not go to Madhwa
Sarovar or Madhwa Pushkarini as the entrance was closed; we could only view it
from outside. We then went around the areas surrounding the Temples; we also
visited the Kanakadasa Statue and viewed Sri Krishna Sanctum Sanctorum through
the Kanakadasa window. After all this, we once again visited Sri Krishna Temple
and explored the entire Temple Complex and Temples within. After the second
Darshan of Sri Krishna through the nine-holed Sanctum window, we sat in the
Chandrasala Hall on whose wall is situated the Kanakadasa window, to witness
Chamara Seva. This hall overlooks the Silver-roofed, four-pillared raised
Mandapam, with the traditional Deepasthambam, carrying a sacred oil lamp (which
is lighted since the time of Madhwacharya) and just beyond it is the Sanctum
sanctorum. Several Rows of wick lamps are lit inside the Temple on all sides.
We were there for over an hour to witness Chamara Seva by the Paryayam Swamier.
Chamara Seva means fanning of the Deities with two gold Chamaras - fine whisker
fans. We saw the Paryayam Swamier
performing this elaborate Puja and Mangalaharathi. The Swamier started the Puja
with the Chamara Seva with two gold Chamaras to the Utsavavigraha of Sri
Krishna and there was chanting of Keeratanas/slokas and resounding Temple
music. Two boys holding gold sticks (Dandas) kept on waving green silk cloth on
either side. Two huge baskets full of puffed rice, jaggery, coconut, laddus,
betel leaves, etc., were offered for Naivedhyam. Two big torches were lit on
either side. A Mangalaharathi was raised first for the Lord, and then the same
was raised for Sri Mukhyaprana, Sri Garuda and Sri Hanuman. Then Swamier went
in to worship the God inside the Sanctum. After all this, we came out of the
Temple and had refreshments at Mitra Samaj and then we watched the Temple Car
Procession of Lord Krishna in his Temple Chariot on the wide Temple Street,
around Sri Chandramouleeshwara and Sri Anantheswara Temples. I have recorded this grand and
interesting procession. This video is attached to this article for your viewing
pleasure.
The Krishna Temple and Matha were founded by the Vaishnavite saint
Jagadguru Shri Madhwacharya in the 13th century. He was the founder of the
Dvaita School of Vedanta. The idol of Sri Krishna was found by Sri Madhwacharya
and consecrated here. It is a beautiful tiny idol of Balakrishna (Krishna as a
small boy) holding a buttermilk churning rod in the right hand and the rope
used for churning in the left hand. The
idol is an ancient one from the times of Lord Krishna. This idol; giving
darshan to countless devotees at Udupi is the same idol of Krishna worshipped
by his beloved wife Rukmini.
Mother Yashodha had the great fortune of being with the prodigious
divine child Krishna, though she was his foster mother. Yashodha could enjoy
all the childish pranks and miracles of Krishna. But Krishna’s original mother
Devaki, the one who had really given birth to Krishna, was denied all this
pleasure, and she longed to enjoy Krishna’s Bala Leelaas (Little Krishna’s
pranks and miracles). To honour his mother’s wish, Krishna assumed his childish
form of Balakrishna again and demonstrated all his playful activities for her
sake. While mother Devaki was overjoyed with this experience, Krishna’s dear
wife Rukmini, who also had the good fortune of enjoying it, was just
exhilarated. She requested Krishna, for an idol of Balakrishna, in the same
childish form. The beloved husband entrusted the task of casting such an idol
to Vishwakarma. The divine architect made a beautiful idol of child Krishna in
the holy Saaligrama stone, for Rukmani to worship with all piety.
The Saaligrama idol, during worship at Dwaraka, got applied with
fragrant Sandalwood paste and gradually got totally covered by sandal paste
over the course of time. In the great deluge that followed after Krishna, the
city of Dwaraka was consumed by the surging sea. Along with it the
sandal-covered idol too was washed away by the waves. Centuries passed and then
the Sandal block was accidentally found as a hard rock by a sailor on an
island, who began using it as a weight to balance his ship. Once his ship was
caught in a big storm in the sea beyond the west coast of South India, close to
Udupi. Saint Sri Madhwacharya, who had come to the seashore for his prayers,
saw the ship in deep trouble. He prayed to Lord Vishnu and signalled the ship
to come safely to the shore by waving his garment.
A miracle happened. The raging storm subsided immediately and the
sinking ship moved to the safety of the shore. The grateful sailor fell at the
saint’s feet with tears in his eyes and requested him to accept something from
his ship as a token of his gratitude. Sri Madhwacharya, who accepted his
request, was impressed with the sandal rock found on the ship and accepted it
as a gift. On breaking open the sandal cover, the idol of Balakrishna began
emerging from it bit by bit. The saint just could not believe his good fortune
in finding his favourite God coming to him on his own.
His joy knew no bounds when he realized through his divine vision
that the idol found was the one worshipped by Devi Rukmini. Overwhelmed, he
carried the idol to his Math at Udupi some 4 km. from the shore, singing in
praise of the Lord. The mere touch from the holy hands of the saint was enough
for the ancient idol to get bestowed with all the divine powers. It was
installed and consecrated with due religious rites at Udupi.
The Lord was facing East when Sri Madhwacharya installed the idol
originally. But something strange happened later. Kanakadasa, a devotee of
Krishna, was denied entry into the temple through the main eastern entrance, as
he was from a lower caste and hence denied Darshan of his Lord. Driven to
desperation, Kanakadasa moved to the western side and pressing his eyes against
the 3 small openings on the western wall, prayed fervently to the Lord for his Darshan.
Just for this devotee’s sake, Balakrishna turned towards the west and through
the 9-holed window and the opening on the wall beyond, gave his darshan to
Baktha Kanakadasa. Since then all devotees are having Lord’s Darshan through
this window.
The Krishna temple at Udupi, also known as the Mathura of the
South, is very beautiful. I am glad that I have a strong attachment to this
ancient Temple, which I have visited close to 200 times in the ’70s. Because of
this attachment and the grace of Lord Krishna, I got to have his Darshan again
after so many years, along with my wife.
May Lord Krishna bless us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment