Shiroor Matha (or Shiroor Mutt) is an important pilgrimage site in south India for Hindus. This is one of the 8 mathas instituted Saint Madhvacharya, the founder of the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. These mathas are located in Udupi.
Shiroor Matha and The Ashta Mathas of Udupi
The ashta mathas were designed to promote Dvaita philosophy. They are named after the villages where they were originally situated. Thus, the Shiroor matha gets its names from Shiroor. Shiroor is 21km from Udupi. The 8 mathas were later moved to Udupi. The 8 mathas are paired in sets called Dwandvas. Shiroor is paired with Sodhe.
About Shiroor Matha
Shiroor matha is located beside the Shri Krishnapur Matha on the right of the Shri Krishna Temple in Udupi. The original swami of this matha was Shri Vamana Theertha. He was gifted a Vithala idol by the Acharya. This idol can be found in the temple and is worshipped till date. The idol features Vithala with Sri Devi and Bhudevi. The idol is named Varma Vithala. Till date, the matha has been headed by 30 Swamijis.
The Guru Parampara of the Matha
| Sri Vamana Tirtha | Sri Lakshminarayana Tirtha |
| Sri Vasudeva Tirtha | Sri Vishvabhushana Tirtha |
| Sri Punyashloka Tirtha | Sri Trailokyapavana Tirtha |
| Sri Vedagamya Tirtha | Sri Lakshmikanta Tirtha |
| Sri Vedavyasa Tirtha | Sri Lakshminarayana Tirtha |
| Sri Vedavedya Tirtha | Sri Lakshmipathi Tirtha |
| Sri Mahesha Tirtha | Sri Lakshmidhara Tirtha |
| Sri Krishna Tirtha | Sri Lakshmiramana Tirtha |
| Sri Raghava Tirtha | Sri Lakshmimanohara Tirtha |
| Sri Suresha Tirtha | Sri Lakshmipriya Tirtha |
| Sri Vedabhushana Tirtha | Sri Lakshmivallabha Tirtha |
| Sri Srinivasa Tirtha | Sri Lakshmisamudra Tirtha |
| Sri Vedanidhi Tirtha | Sri Lakshmindra Tirtha |
| Sri Sridhara Tirtha | Lakshmimanojna tirtha (renounced the seat) |
| Sri Yadavittama Tirtha | Lakshmivara Tirtha |
How to Reach The Matha
By Rail
Udupi is the closest railway station to the Matha. Buses and taxis are available from the station to the matha.
By Air
As a distance of 58km, Mangalore is the closest airport to Shiroor Matha. Regular flights connect Mangalore with other metro cities across India. Taxis connect the airport to the matha.
By Road
Udupi is well connected to other cities in Karnataka by road. KSRTC and private bus operators run regular buses between Udupi and other cities. Tourists may also hire private cabs from Mangalore or Bangalore.