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Travel to Guruvayur... |
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Guruvayur is one of the most sacred
and important pilgrim centres of Kerala, attracting thousands of pilgrims from
all parts of the countury. Its chief attraction is a temple dedicated to Lord
Krishna known as 'Guruvayurappan'. The town is a popular place
for young couples to get married and marriage halls abound in the town.
The town and it's environs are
particularly safe and one often sees men and women visiting it's various temples
with a glittering array of jewellery. The art of the south Indian jeweller is
truly a sight to behold. Apart from gold and semi-precious stone jewellery, the
town is also famous for its textiles and other handicraft shops. |
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| History : | |||||||
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Lord Krishna was born as the son of
Vasudeva and Devaki in the dwapara yuga. He performed wonderful deeds and
everyone was convinced that the boy was none other than Lord Vishnu in human
form, an avatar of Vishnu or the perfect manifestation of the supreme power.
Before leaving the earth to the heavenly abode, Lord Krishna told Udhava, his
foremost disciple that he had installed the image of Lord Vishnu in the temple
built by him at Dwaraka. Later Dwaraka was submerged in the sea and Brihaspathi
(Guru) recovered the idol and with the assistance of Vayu (Wind God). Together,
they traveled all over India in search of a holy place and finally reached
Kerala. Here, with the help of Parasurama, they located a holy spot. Guru and
Vayu installed the image of Lord Vishnu (Lord Krishna) in the temple built by
Viswakarma, the architect of the Gods. As Guru and Vayu together founded the
temple, the place came to be called Guruvayupura in accordance with Lord
Shivas wish. Later the name was shortened toGuruvayur. With regard to the
number of devotees visiting each day to receive the Lords blessings,Guruvayur
Temple ranks first in Kerala and fourth in India. Considering the number of
devotees, it is a Maha Kshetra. |
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| Facts and Figures : | |||||||
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| How to Reach : | |||||||
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Air:
The nearest airport Cochin 100
kms, is connected by Indian Airlines with Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi, Goa,
Madras, Trivandrum. Rail: Nearest rail head is Trichur 29 kms from Guruvayur. Road: Guruvayoor is connected by road with Cochin-100 kms, Coimbatore-142 kms, Trichur (29 kms), Kalady (65 kms), Palghat (95 km), Malampuzha (109 km), Palani (247 kms), Trivandrum (294 kms), Ootacamund (230 kms) etc. |
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| Best Season to Visit Guruvayur : | |||||||
| Best season to visit Guruvayur is between October to March. | |||||||
| Sightseeing : | |||||||
| Guruvayur Shree Krishna Temple : | |||||||
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The fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per
day, Guruvayur Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. Though the devotees
worship him as Lord Krishna, the deity is that of a complete man
incarnation of Lord Maha Vishnu with four arms. This shrine is popularly
known as the Dwaraka of south and is in the form of a rectangle. There are
a lot of mural paintings around the Shrine. Being one of the most sacred
and important pilgrim centres of Kerala, it is probably the only temple in
the state that hosts the maximum number of marriages and rice feeding
ceremony, the ritual first meal for infants. |
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| Chavakkad Beach : | |||||||
| Chavakkad Beach with its virgin waters, will entice you to come again. The famous mural paintings will certainly touch a deep chord in your heart and bring out the hidden artist in you. The beauty of the beach and its mesmerising atmosphere is an experience you wouldn't want to miss. | |||||||
| Excursion : | |||||||
| Punnathur Kotta : | |||||||
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4 kms. 44 elephants belong to the
Guruvayur Krishna Temple are fenced and fed in the Punnathur Kotta. Visitors can
watch. |
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| Mammiyoor Temple : | |||||||
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Many of the devotees who visit
the temple also visit the Shiva Temple at Mammiyoor, the abode of Lord Shiva.
Located about half a Kilometer from Guruvayur, it is not only a visiting place
for the devotees, but also a temple worth visiting by ordinary visitors. |
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| Kerala Kalamandalam : | |||||||
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Kerala Kalamandalam is situated
on the banks of Bharathapuzha river in Cheruthuruthy. Founded in 1927, Kerala
Kalamandalam, is a place for Kathakali dance drama and other performing arts of
Kerala. Here one can see Kathakali, Koodiyattam and Mohniyattam performances in
its theatre, known as Koothambalams. In kalamandalam there are schools
specializing in the dance / theatre forms of Kathakali and Koodiyattam offer
visitors an insight into the Keralas traditional arts. |
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