Paryaya – Udupi goes overdrive

Udupi: The 760 year old temple city will not sleep on the night of 17 January (Wednesday)till day break on Thursday. This was not an all night weekend party plan but it was laced with intense religious and social commitment the elders of this town made to the 13th century saint Madhwacharya the dwaitha philosopher.

The town was in the grip of Paryaya- the biennial festival only this town can boast of in all the religious circles. Madhwacharya was one of the three prominent philosopher along with Aadi Shankara (Advaitha) and Ramanujacharya (Vishitadwaitha) of Melkote in Mandya district, Madhwacharya was the proponent of Dwaitha philosophy (dualism). The legend goes to say that Madhwacharya was the incarnation of the god of wind (Vayu) this legend also equates him with Hanuma (Tretha yuga) Bheema (Dwapara yuga) and Madhwa (Kali yuga). Using his power of controlling wind velocity he saved a ship going from Dwaraka to an unknown destination at a place called Vadabandeshwara beach near Malpe in ancient Udupi. The Captain of the ship immediately understood that this was no ordinary man who had saved his ship from sinking and came to the shore and offered the well built swamiji anything from the ship. Madhwacharya pointed out from his ‘divya drishti’ that there were two bundles of gopi chandana –used by Brahmins for their daily poojas which cannot leave the Bharata Khanda. The captain gladly presented the bundles, took his blessings and left.

Inside the bundles were the two idols of Kadugolu Krishna and that of his brother ‘Haladhara’ Balarama. Madhwacharya established Balarama in Vadabandeshwara and Krishna in Udupi during late 13th century. After establishing the temple at Udupi he anointed 8 Brahmacharis taken from nearby villages of Pejavara, Adamaru, Phalimaru, Krishnapura, Sode, Kaniyoor, Shirooru and Puthige, they all lived inside Matha (monastery) around the Krishna temple, continued their education and performed poojas to the deity their Guru had established. Before Madhwacharya handed over the temple to them he asked each of them to take turns every two months to perform poojas to Krishna’s idol which he called ‘Paryaya’. The same system continued till the end of 15th century when Vadiraja swamiji of Sode Math later enhanced the period from two months to two years which is being followed even today.

This year happens to be the 33nd cycle of Udupi Paryaya and Senior swamiji of Puthige Math swamiji HH Sugunendra Thirtha swamiji will take over the reins of administering Krishna temple for next two years 2024 to 2026.

Entire Udupi has been lit up, especially the car street area where there were eight mathas and three temples –Chandramouleshwara, Anantheshwara and Raghavendra swami Brindavana and at the centre of it the entire Krishna temple. The Madhwa Sarovara has been decked up with flowers and lights and all the three chariots the Brahmaratha, Garuda Ratha and Sanna Ratha have been given new claddings. The Silver, gold and diamond chariots have also been readied for Utsavas.

Over 2 lakh people will visit Udupi and Krishna math has employed over 100 cooks to prepare food for them, the Udupi special sambhar, Rasam, payasam and butter milk was on the menu for over 1.5 lakh devotees who will receive the anna prasadam in the temple town on Sunday and Monday.

KSRTC and private operators from all over the state have announced that they will run special services to Udupi on Saturday and back to various destinations.