Udupi is an ancient city situated in the coastal belt of Karnataka, having rich cultural heritage dating back thousands of years. One can find the greatness of this holy land even in the ancient scriptures like Puranas. The ”Krishna matha” of Udupi is a world-famous center for Krishna devotion which attracts millions of devotees from all over the world. This Krishna matha was established over 800 years ago by a great saint Sri Madhvacharya – an avatar of Sri MukhyaPrana himself, propagated the philosophy of “Tatvavada”, which later came to be known as “Dwaita philosophy”. At Krishna Matha, he (Sri Madhvacharya) consecrated a 5000-year-old idol of lord Krishna, which had come sailing on a boat from the shores of Dwaraka in the state of Gujarat to Malpe near Udupi. This is probably the testimony for the highest level of grace bestowed upon by the Lord Krishna to his staunchest devotee, – Sri Madhvacharya.

Sri Madhvacharya had also laid the foundation for 8 monasteries or mathas to support and perform the religious rituals in the Krishna matha. Shri Puthige matha is one of them. Shri Upendra Teertha was the most important direct disciple of Sriman Madhwacharya, whose name finds mention in the “Shri Sumadhwa Vijaya“ the biography of Sriman Madhwacharya. The monastery that has come down to us through him is called Shri Puthige Matha. The present pontiff Sri Sugunendra Teertha Swamiji was anointed as the 30th pontiff of Sri Matha at the age of twelve. Swamiji studied under “Sri Vidyamanya Theertha Swamiji”, one of the greatest scholars of Vedanta in the modern times.