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Narayan Rao lets loose a polysyllabic stream, which to the untrained ear could sound like the spontaneous expression of emotion under a very trying circumstance.

But it is just another peaceful afternoon in the life of the 58-year-old waiter, in a land that gave rise to food evangelism. Here, even on a day when the rain bounces off the stony roofs of temples, streaming down red-tiled two-storeyed structures, people make time for their gods and for their food. The fervour is catching and you are held in Rao's thrall for as long as he takes to complete his litany. It must take some divine assistance to chant without once coming up for air. If proprietor Achuth Holla is to be believed, this is just one among the thousand-odd times that he recites the menu mantra each day.

So where do the gods come in? Well, for Holla and the handful who thrive in the shadow of the gods on Car Street, nothing moves till the Almighty does. At 4:30 am everyday, after the rath makes its way towards the Krishna Temple, shutters come up and food makes its way to a plate in a time-honoured ritual.

According to lore, Udupi is part of the belt that Krishna reclaimed for himself from the belly of the sea. Its station as a celestial abode is announced at the threshold of the town itself as you drive through an intricate gateway, decorated with divine figures. In a matter of minutes, you touch Car Street. This street is almost garland shaped, a snug fit around the shoulders of the three temples Chandramoulishwar, Ananteshwar and Krishna that have given Udupi its elevated status. Milling around Car Street are the Ashthamatha, the eight monasteries anointed by saint-philosopher Madhavacharya, to administer the Krishna Temple.

The name Udupi has two origins: Udupati, which means Lord Shiva who wears the moon, or a place situated on the edge of rice fields. Both descriptions are accurate. For the two-hour drive from Mangalore on the well-paved coastal stretch of NH17 into Udupi is dominated by a lush stretch of paddy fields, their sway occasionally halted by the flow of serene backwaters, coconut groves and freshly painted stone bridges.