Plan your trip · Udupi
What's on in Udupi
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Udupi — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Udupi right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Udupi
Udupi's calendar works around the monsoon — the big outdoor events sit either side of it, and the wettest weeks are the quietest ones for anything held in the open. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Udupi
Paryaya
🗓️ January, every second yearThe Krishna Matha's headship passes between the eight monasteries in a dawn procession, with the town feeding pilgrims for days.
Planning: Udupi's food is the reason to time a visit here anyway.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Udupi's biggest festivals all centre on the Sri Krishna Matha and Car Street. The largest is Paryaya, held every second January, when the running of the temple passes from one of the eight mathas to the next in a procession before dawn. Janmashtami, Krishna's birthday, brings Vittal Pindi, a day of processions and pot-breaking on Car Street, and dancers painted as tigers in the performance known as Pili Vesha. In November, Laksha Deepotsava lights the temple square with thousands of lamps.
Most of these follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so their dates change each year. Check the dates before you plan your trip, and book rooms early for Paryaya and Janmashtami.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Udupi
- Book accommodation well in advance for Paryaya and Janmashtami.
- Arrive early on Car Street to find a place to stand.
- For Paryaya, be ready for a very early start, as the main procession happens before dawn.
- Follow the temple dress code if you plan to go inside during a festival.
- Carry water, as crowds on Car Street can be dense and hot.
- Keep your phone and wallet secure in the crowds.
- Ask before photographing performers and people at worship.
Questions
Udupi — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Udupi?
The main festivals are Paryaya every second January, Janmashtami with Vittal Pindi in August or September, and Laksha Deepotsava in November. Navratri and Diwali are also celebrated across the town.
What is the Paryaya festival in Udupi?
Paryaya is the handover of the Krishna Matha from one of the eight Ashta Mathas to the next, every two years. The new head takes charge in a ceremony before dawn, with processions through the town. The last one was in January 2026.
What is Vittal Pindi?
Vittal Pindi is the celebration on the day after Janmashtami at the Krishna Matha. Clay images of Krishna are taken in procession around Car Street, and pots of curd and milk are broken in memory of Krishna's childhood.
What is Pili Vesha?
Pili Vesha, or the tiger dance, is a folk dance from coastal Karnataka. Dancers paint their bodies with tiger stripes and dance to loud drums, usually during Janmashtami and Navratri.