Udupi
The devotees participated in the leela festival of Muddukrishna in Vitlapindi. Udupi, the city of Lord Krishna, was literally like Mathura because of the celebrations of Vitlapindi. Dwaraka was celebrated in the courtyard of the eight mutts. The city has been celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna for many years, which is called Vitlapindi. The Krishnaleela festival is a testimony to the celebrations of the devotees the day after the birth of Lord Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga. A day-old little Krishna was adorned with a diamond shield. The whole monastery was decorated with flowers. Devotees visited Mutt since morning and had darshan of Lord Krishna. Devotees dressed in traditional Golla costumes entered ratha street from Krishna Mutt. Lord Krishna was welcomed by beating the pot in front of the mutt and pouring butter and curd. An idol of Muddukrishna made of clay was paraded in the palanquin. On this occasion, Swamiji mounted the deity on the golden chariot and offered special pujas. Thousands of devotees, hundreds of artists and tiger-clad dancers danced in a grand procession of Lord Krishna. The tradition of distributing the lump chakkuli offered as an offering to Lord Krishna during the procession has been going on for a long time. Though it has been raining heavily since morning, the sun god was bright when Krishna’s chariot left. Devotees stood on either side of the Ashtamatha Krishnamatha Road and watched the procession of the deity. The clay idol of Lord Krishna was waterlogged in madhwa lake after the festival took a round of ratha street. The alternative Krishnapura senior seer led the festival of Sri Krishna.More than 15,000 devotees were offered annaprasadam. The Yuva Brahmin Parishad had arranged buttermilk for the devotees.
