The Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a form of Vishnu, but popularly known as Krishna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikuntha (Vaikuntha in the earthly realm). “Oor” in malayalam means peace. Since the place was discovered by Guru & Vayu,it came to be known as Guruvayur.According to the 14th century book Kokasandesha, the place was known as Kuruvayur.Kuruvayur means place on the seashore. The temple is Classified one among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of Vaishnavate tradition.
As per tradition, the shrine faces the East with two Gopurams (tower), one in the East (Kizhakkenada) and other in the West (Padinjarenada). In the front and the east side of the Nalambalam (a square shaped column) lie the pillars of light called Deepastambam. There are a number of such light pillars in the temple. The eastern side’s Deepastambam is 24 feet in height and has thirteen circular receptacles, making it an absolutely spectacular sight when lit. Another famous sight here is the Dwajasthamba. It is a flag-staff, around 70 feet tall, fully covered with gold. The square shaped Sree Kovil has two stairs and three rooms inside and has aninner room known as Garbhagriha. This is where the idol of Sree Krishna is placed. One can also find images of Ganapathy, Lord Ayyappa and Edathedathu Kavil Bhagavathy inside the temple. The healing powers of the shrine drive many to visit it in large numbers. Only Hindus are allowed inside the Temple.
King Sutapa and his wife Prishni prayed to Brahma for a child. Brahma, with the consent of Vishnu, gave the king a murti of Krishna given to him by Vishnu himself. It is said that by the grace of this murti, Brahma was able to fulfill his task of creation. When Vishnu appeared before the King and the queen in answer to their prayers, they prayed to the Lord for a son like Him. As they repeated it thrice, the lord told them that they would have three janmas (births) and that He would be born to them in each of their three incarnations. In due course the Lord was born to them. He was born to them the first time as Prisnigarbha, who taught people the importance of brahmacharya. The second time, he was born to Kashyapa and Aditi and took form as the avatara of Vamana. In their third incarnation, they were Vasudeva and Devaki, parents of Krishna. The legend states that Krishna got the murti from his father and worshiped it at his capital, Dwaraka.
The holy idol or murti is almost 4 feet tall and made of a stone called “Patala Anjanam” or black bismuth and is in the standing pose with four arms, carrying the Panchajanya (shanku or conch), the Sudarshana Chakra (chakra or disc), the Koumodaki (gada or mace) and padma (lotus).It is believed that the deity of Guruvayoorappan represents the purna rupa (full manifestation) of four-armed Vishnu revealed by baby Krishna to His parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, immediately after His advent in Kamsa’s jail. This idol was, therefore, worshipped by the parents of Krishna, and later was worshipped by Krishna, an Avatar of Vishnu Himself. So baby Krishna is worshipped on a Vishnu deity.
The temple tank (pond) on the northern side of the temple is called Rudratheertham. According to legend, for thousands of years, Lord Shiva used to bath on the southern bank of this pond. Since Shiva is also known by the name ‘Rudra’, the pond came to be known as Rudratheertham.
The Punnathur kotta, also known as the Anakotta (Elephant Yard in English), houses the 56 elephants belonging to the temple. This place is the home to the largest population of captive male Asian elephants in the world. These elephants are donated by devotees to the temple, and due to the preference of donating tusked male elephants, the ratio of male and female elephants living at the Anakotta is skewed.Devotees consider several of these elephants as living forms of Lord Guruvayurappa himself. Guruvayur Keshavan was the most famous among those. The other notable elephant was Guruvayur Padmanabhan, who was the chief of Guruvayur elephants.
Guruvayur is a temple state with the Lord as its Head. Every night at the close of worship, the days account is read to the Lord even today. Another ceremony is the Thulabharam, in which the devotees are weighed against plantains/sugar/jaggery/coconuts or other articles. These are gifted to the temple.
The temple routines as laid down by Adi Shankara are strictly followed. Vedic traditions are followed with utmost precision and sanctity is maintained. Temple opens for the devotees at 3 AM and closes after the day’s puja at 10 PM. Puja here can be divided into Morning Puja, Afternoon Puja, and Evening Puja.
Guruvayoor is a place of deep religious and cultural significance, and it draws thousands of devotees and tourists every year. It is a must-visit destination for those interested in exploring the religious and cultural heritage of Kerala.
