Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple

Location Guruvayur, 30 km west of Trissur and 80 km from Ernakulam in the state of Kerala
Dedicated To Lord Sri Krishna
Significance Richest Temple in south India
Also Known as Guruvayurappan Temple

The Sri Krishna Temple is one of the most important and the richest temple in the whole of South India. Dedicated to Lord Krishna , the temple is also known by the name of Guruvayurappan. It signifies the name of the deity meaning the lord of Guru and Vayu. The deity of Lord Krishna is said to forgive the sins of his devotees who come to worship him in the temple. The Deity placed in the temple is over 5000 years old.

The deity of Lord Krishna is seen with the rare stone patala anjamam having four arms carrying a coonch, disc, mace and a lotus adorned with a tulsi garland and pearl necklace. The ritual of Tulabharam is a common sight here where devotees donate quantity of materials that equals the weight of their body. Devotees are seen being weighed against banana,sugar, jaggery or coconuts. The worship of the temple is done by the Nambudri Brahmins who live within the precinct of the temple.

According to the Puranas, the deity was worshiped by Lord Brahma in the beginning and given to Vaaudeva, the father of Lord Krishna. Later on the deity was worshiped by Lord Krishna himself in Dwarka. As the sea began to submerged the deity was transferred to its present location by Guru and Vayu.

THE LEGEND

After the destruction of Yadava clan, Krishna too left the earth. Very soon the whole of Dwarka was submerged under water. Everything was destroyed except the idol of the Lord. Krishna himself had installed that idol in the temple built by him at Dwaraka. Udhava, Krishna’s closest disciple retrieved it from sea and approached Guru (the teacher of Devas) and Vayu (God of Winds) to find an idol spot to install the idol.

Guru and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. They met Parasurama who led them to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus tank where they felt the presence of Lord Siva and Parvathy. The idol was installed there. Siva with Parvathy left to the opposite bank, at Mammiyur. Siva permitted Guru and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as GURUVAYUR (since the installation was done by Guru and Vayu)

Vishwakarma, the divine architect was requested to built a Temple , which he made in such a way that on the day of Vishu (Summer equinox), the sun himself makes his obeisance . His first rays on that day fall straight on the Lord's feet. The idol was installed in the solar month of Kumbha. (February - March).
The deity is well known for its healing power and several offerings are made to the deity here. The worship protocol at the temple is said to have been established by Adi Sankaracharya, the great religious leader. The sanctum opens at 3 am and closes at 10pm. In Kerala, this is probably the only temple that hosts the maximum number of marriages and rice feeding ceremonies (the ritual first meal for infants). Punnathoorkotta, which is at a distance of 2 kms from Guruvayoor is home of 50 temple elephants. The temple is open only to Hindus and photography is strictly prohibited.

Temple architecture
The attraction of this temple is the magnificent deity of Lord Sri Krishna. The temple comparatively small in size than the other south Indian temple is entered through the east direction. The eastern gateway is known as the Bholoka Vaikuntham and is the main entrance to the temple. The other enclosures contains a 110 ft high gold plated dwajastambam or flag ship. To the either side of the flag post are the pillars of lamp providing a spectacular view at night with its circular receptacles.

In the middle of the temple is located the central shrine called the Shikoli. The Shikoli holds the sanctum santorum where the main deity of Lord Krishna is placed. The wall depicts the early life and past times of the Lord. The Nalambalam, encircles the inner sanctum having the altar. It is the particular place where devotees view the deities.

The southern part contains the mystery cell believed to hold the jewels and ornaments well protected by the serpents Panchanagas. The courtyard is termed as Matilakan and the temple tank is called the Rudra titha. Next to the tank lies the shrine in the name of the goddess Edatharikathu kavil bhagavati.

Daily Chores in the Temple
The deity can be viewed from 3 am to 12.30pm and 4.30 to 10 pm. There are two entrances open, one from the east where the main bus stand is placed and the other to the west. Separate lines are there for men and women. There is a processing every evening of the deity at 7 pm. The deity is seen in elephant backs seated on his golden throne. A variety of classical dance such as Bharatnatyam are performed for the public.

Festival
The Ekadasi festival is celebrated in the months of November and December during the mangalam season. One can see the festival of lights called Vilakku. The las three days attracts a lot of devotees in Navami, Dasami and Ekadasi. As a part of the Ekadasi there is held the 11 days Chembur festival. The ten days long Utsavam Festival is another important occassion that includes an elephant race.

How to reach
By Air: The nearest airport is in kochi or cochin 90 km away from the pilgrim site of Guruvayur.
By Train: The nearest rail head is located in Trissur or at Kuttipuram from where Guruvayur is just 52
Kilometers.
By Road: There are buses available to the place from Thrissur, Mysore and other important places on a daily basis, about five buses runs every hour from Trissur.