The sacred town of Udupi is home to the venerable Krishna shrine known as the Sri Krishna Matha, an institution founded in the 13th century by the philosopher-saint Madvacharya (1238-1317 CE) under the Dvaita (dualism) tradition. Within this rich tapestry of devotion, the Puttige Matha belongs to one of the eight monasteries (Ashta Mathas) that he established. These eight Mathas take turns in a cycle to administer the temple, contribute to its rituals, manage its affairs and serve the devotees through annadanam, pujas and festivals.
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| Udipi Sri Krishna idol,,KA :hindupad.com |
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| Udipi Sri Krishna temple,KA en.wikipedia.org |
The very governance model of this shrine thus binds monastic discipline, communal service and spiritual ideals in a living tradition. What is especially striking is this rotation: each Matha holds charge for a fixed span of two years, after which the baton passes to the next, so that over a full cycle all eight have had their turn. This rhythm ensures continuity, collective responsibility and prevents any one Matha from monopolizing authority over the temple.
Above image:Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, one among the foremost famous Sri krishna temples in India is in Udipi, in the Distrrict of Udipi in Western Karnataka. Udipi is part of "Parasuram kshetra" and has a history of 700 years. Thousands of people visit this holy place to seek the blessings of Bala Krishna (Krishna in child form)........
The Puttige Matha in particular, situated on the
Car Street of Udupi, carries the lineage of Upendra Tirtha as its first pontiff, and it continues to maintain its home base in the village of Puttige near Udupi. Today the head of this Matha is
Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji, who occupies the Peetha and leads the operations of the Matha, its educational outreach, ritual responsibilities, and its role in the wider temple activities. Sri Sugunendra Tirtha has overseen the
Paryaya— the formal handing-over ceremony and assumption of the office— in January 2024, and his term runs until January 2026. Under his stewardship the Puttige Matha has been organising major spiritual programmes, publishing traditional scripture study, managing the annadanam service and overseeing temple festivals. His junior pontiff,
Sri Sushreendra Tirtha, acts as the successor in waiting, assisting in the daily duties of the Matha. The institution thus marries ancient lineage-based spiritual authority with active community engagement.
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Sri Krishna temple main entrance,Udipi.en.wikipedia.org
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Above image: The Paryaya festival is not only open to people who follow Madhwa Sampradhyam (tradition) but also to other communities. The festival will attract more than 2 to 3 lakhs (200,000 to 300,00) of people across Karnataka. For the worship of Sri Krishna, Sri Madhwachara chose 8 young children and gave them Sanyasa in 1317 AD; he made them become ascetics (renunciation of materialistic life, following strict discipline, learning of Veda Sastras, language skills in Sanskrit, conduct of pujas / prayers, etc). Thus, he established Moola Peethas ( primary Peetams/Mutts).......
For devotees who come from far and wide to Udupi, the role of the Matha is visible not merely in the rituals at the Krishna Temple, but in the ever-present service of free food, the maintenance of sacred spaces, and the rhythm of festivals that echo across the town. The two-year rotational system reflects the founder’s wisdom in establishing an administration anchored in sacred ritual, communal service and shared monastic responsibility.
In an age when many religious institutions struggle with centralisation of power, the Udupi model stands out by distributing authority and reinforcing the bond between monastery and temple, guru and disciple, tradition and service. Under the current head of Puttige Matha, Sri Sugunendra Tirtha, the legacy of Madvacharya continues to unfold—vaishnava worship, Dvaita philosophy, and temple service combine in an institution that remains profoundly relevant to devotees even after seven centuries.
Tit-Bits:
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| .Adamaru Paryaya 2020.Udupi Paryaya procession. youtube.com |
Paryaya, a unique religious ritual associated with Sri Krishna temple, Udipi takes place every alternate year. The responsibility of pujas and administration of Krishna Matha is shared among the heads (seer or monk or pontiff) of Ashta Matha's established by Sri Madhvacharya centuries ago. Each swamiji of every mutt gets chance to perform puja to Udupi Sri Krishna by rotation for a period of two years. According to sources, the current Paryaya in charge is the Puttige Matha, and its head is Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji. The next scheduled Paryaya will be taken over by Shiroor Matha (Shirur Matha) in January 2026.
