Kerala Tourist Destination

The very name ‘Guruvayoor’ evokes images of Lord Krishna and piety in the hearts of devout Hindus of Kerala. Guruvayoor, which lies 30 km from Thrissur, has become synonymous with the temple which attracts millions of pilgrims every year. The legend about the temple goes that Brihaspathi (Guru) found an idol of Krishna floating in a lake at the beginning of this yuga. Together with Vayu, he installed the idol in a place called GuruVayuPura, which later became Guruvayoor. The main diety of the temple is thus Lord Krishna. The idol, made of Black Bismuth is in a standing position. Each of its four arms holds the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus. The walls of the inner sanctum are adorned with murals and carvings. The most spectacular part of the temple is the Deepasthambham at the outer enclosure, which is a huge brass lamp made of thirteen discs to hold the wicks, seven metres high. When lit, the Deepasthambham lends a magical aura to the whole area.

The architecture of the temple is grand and imposing, to say the least. The ‘Nalambalam’ which is a square hall has its outer gallery covered with oil lamps. The ‘Koothambalam’ is where performances used to be held earlier.  In the Oottupura, the lunch is served to devotees daily. The Rudratheertha is the temple tank in which devotees are supposed to take a dip before entering the temple. 

Only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple, which opens at 3 AM every morning. Offerings can be made throughout the day. There is a dress code as well, neither men nor women are allowed to wear trousers of any kind, the men may wear a dhoti and the women a skirt and blouse or sari. Food is also served to devotees free of cost.