The story of Udupi SriKrishna is very interesting. Before Udupi Krishna, let’s learn how Udupi got the name ‘Udupi.’ Long ago, Chandra had 27 nakshatras as His wives. Among them, Rohini was Chandra's favorite wife. Because Krishna appeared in the Rohini Nakshatra, Rohini was His favorite wife. So, the other wives of Chandra were very disappointed by this and came to their father, Daksha Prajapati. Daksha Prajapati threatened Chandra to curse Him. Frightened, Chandra came to this kshetra and did penance to please Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva, pleased by Chandra’s penance, appeared there and blessed Him, and assured Him that Daksha would not do anything to Him. Saying thus, Lord Shiva took Chandra and put him on His jataa. That’s why He came to be known as Chandramauleshwara and got installed there as Sri Chandramouleshwara Linga. And Udupa means ‘The husband of the nakshatras’. Since the husband of the nakshatras had done penance there, this kshetra was known as Udupi.
There is another temple in Udupi, which is SriAnanteshwara Temple. There, it is Srihari’s Parashurama roopa in the form of a Linga.
Now, coming to the story of Udupi SriKrishna. After killing Kamsa, Krishna was in Mathura. But Jarasandha attacked Mathura 18 times, and 18 times he was defeated by Krishna. Krishna, for the security of the people of Mathura, instructed Vishvakarma to construct Dwaraka in the middle of the ocean. Now, after that, Krishna married Rukmini, Satyabhama, and all 16,108 queens. Once, Devaki said to Krishna, “O Krishna! I couldn’t see your baalaleelas, as I was in the capture of Kamsa. Now that I am free, could you please show me your baalaleelas?” At this SriKrishna agreed and transformed into His baalaroopa. He sat on Devaki’s lap and played with Her, and gave Her joy. Rukmini was seeing all this.
Rukmini was very attracted to this beautiful form of Lord Krishna. She requested Krishna to give Her a vigraha of the same Krishna, as He looked in His childhood. Krishna immediately called Vishvakarma and instructed Him to make an idol of Krishna. The idol must look exactly as Krishna used to look during His childhood. Following Krishna’s instructions, Vishvakarma created a Saligrama idol of Krishna. It was a very beautiful idol. Krishna, in His baalaroopa as a 5-year-old boy, was holding the milk-churning stick (it is known as Kadagolu in Kannada) in one hand and the other hand on His thigh, holding the rope tied to Him by Yashoda Devi during His Vrindavana pastimes. He was standing and had three jatas on His head. He had curly hair falling on His forehead, giving Him a very handsome look.
This idol was worshipped by Rukmini Devi in Dwaraka. After the Krishnavatara ended, this idol, along with another idol, was covered in a big lump of Gopi Chandana. Now, in Kaliyuga, SriMukhyaprana Vayudeva, in order to spread the true purport of the Vedas, incarnated on this earth as SriMadhvacharya, was once coming for a samudra snaana. After the snaana, He saw a ship coming. The ship was in trouble due to the storms and all. SriMadhvacharya waved His hand once, and the ship reached the shore. The captain of the ship was very happy and thanked SriMadhvacharya for helping Him. He asked SriMadhvacharya to ask for anything, because he was highly impressed and was happy with Him. SriMadhvacharya saw the two rocks of sandalwood on the ship. He said, “I want those two rocks of sandalwood.”
When those rocks of sandalwood were broken, SriMadhvacharya saw the idol of Lord Janardana in the first rock, and in the other rock, He found the Krishna worshipped by Rukmini Devi in Dwaraka. SriMadhvacharya brought it to Udupi and did the pratishtha of the idol of Krishna in Udupi. He worshipped Krishna as Omkaara Shabdavaachya Krishna, or the Krishna whose name is Omkaara. Thus, pleased by the utmost devotion of SriMadhvacharya, Krishna from Dwaraka came through the samudramaarga to SriMadhvacharya. This is the Bhakti of SriMadhvacharya. While doing pooja of Krishna, SriMadhvacharya used to do the chintana of the Paramatma, who is known by the syllable ‘Om’, and the Paramatma, who is all-pervading and is everywhere and in everyone.
In Udupi, there is the presence of the trinity itself. SriMadhvacharya, being Hanuman Himself, who is the future Brahmaji. Then, Lord Vishnu is Krishna and Ananteshwara Himself. And Lord Shiva is the Chandramouleshwara Himself. That’s the speciality of Udupi Kshetra.
The Udupi Krishna’s dhyaana shloka says:
कृष्णं वन्दे मन्थपाशधरं दिव्यार्भकाकृतिम् ।
शिखाबन्धत्रयोपेतं भैष्मी मध्व करार्चितम् ॥
I bow to Lord Krishna, who holds the churning rod and rope, who possesses the form of a divine child, who has three tufts of hair (shikhas), and who is worshipped by Rukmini (Bhaishmi) and Sri Madhvacharya.
Even today in Udupi, just as in Puri Lakshmidevi Herself cooks, in the same way in Udupi, it is Bheemasena who is cooking the food. Even today, during the time of Naivedya to Krishna, Swamiji comes out of the main shrine, or the Garbhagruha, and does japa outside. In the Garbhagruha, Rukmini Devi Herself comes and shows the bhog to Lord Krishna, and disappears.
Now, why is Krishna holding a churning rod and a rope? There is a message in it. The message is: When you are churning the milk known as the Vedas, Vedanta, Puranas, and Itihasas, only one butter comes out as a result, and that is Krishna, who is the Supreme Parabrahman. Or another thing is, like the samudra manthana, how there was Mandarparvata; in the same way, there is the churning of the big parvata named Vedanta. The Brahma Sutras are ropes for churning. The correct shaastras are the devatas, whereas the duragamas or agyaana are the raakshasas. Both the correct knowledge (devatas) and the false knowledge (asuras) are churning the milky ocean named Krishna. And from that milky ocean comes the Amrita, by the name of Krishna’s supremacy.
Another thing is that Krishna holds the rope in the other hand. This shows that if you worship Him, He will remove the rope of Samsara and free you from it and will take you to His abode, Vaikuntha. So, this is why Krishna is holding the churning rod and the rope in His hands. Here, only the Swamijis of the Ashtamathas are allowed to do the pooja of Krishna inside the main shrine. Swamiji from each Matha comes to Udupi and performs Krishna pooja for 2 years. This period is known as Paryaayaa. Currently, the Shiroor Matha seer SriVedavardhana Tirtha Sripadangalavaru is performing the pooja of Krishna in Udupi.
Hope this helps!
Jay SriRam!
ShriKrishnarpanamastu!