Guruvayur

Guruvayur is a temple town in central Kerala, near the city of Thrissur. It is most famous for the Sree Krishna Temple, which attracts millions of devotees from all over the country.

Historical Significance

The deity worshipped here is believed to be over 5000 years old and is said to be made divine by Lord Siva’s penance. Further, the TheZamorins of Calicut and the kingdom of Valluvanadbattled for years, and people started settling in Guruvayur. Parts of the Sree Krishna temple were damaged in a fire in 1970 and were renovated in 3 years.

Guruvayur: Famed Centre of Art and Culture, Spirituality, Religion, and Education

Apart from the Krishna Temple, there are dozens of temples all over this town, and millions of devotees throng Guruvayur to seek blessings.

There is also an elephant camp, where the elephants used for the ‘Seeveli’ are looked after. And it is also popular with visitors.

Moreover, the roads leading to the temples are lined with dozens of shops selling puja articles, religious items, handicrafts, and peacock feathers, which attracts visitors.

Festivals of Guruvayur

Guruvayur Ekadashi

The eleventh day of every lunar fortnight, Ekadashi, is very auspicious to the Hindus. Of the 24 Ekadashis in a year, the Vrishchika Ekadashi (Sukla paksha) has special significance in the Guruvayur temple. Guruvayur conducts a memorial honor for Gajarajan Keshavan. In addition, the head of the elephant family or the Karanavar places a wreath at the statue of Keshavan in front of Sreevalsam's guest house. While all the other elephants stand around and pay obeisance. 

On Ekadashi day, the Devaswom conducts the Udayasthamana Pooja (dawn to dusk pooja). After the morning seeveli, there is a grand elephant procession to the Parthasarathi temple since it is famous as Geethopadesam Day also. On this day after night pooja, the famous elephant procession with Ekadashi Vilakku takes place and marks as the finale of this festival.

Chembai Sangeetholsavam

Chembai Sangeetholsavam is an annual Carnatic music festival in Guruvayur by the Guruvayur Devaswom. It is a kind of homage to Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, one of the titans of Carnatic Classical Music. Moreover, Chembai had conducted the festival in the temple town for about 60 years on his own. He used to invite all the great Carnatic Musicians to perform in the temple town. With time, the festival's scale rivaled the Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru, which is recognized as one of the most important festivals of homage paid to Saint Thyagaraja.

In his memory, the Guruvayur Devaswom decided to take charge after his death in 1974 and renamed it Chembai Sangeetholsavam. About 2000-2500 musicians participate in this festival every year and it goes on for about 12–15 days, culminating on the Guruvayur Ekadasi day when all the musicians sing 5 favorite songs of Chembai also the Pancharatna Kritis of Thyagaraja.

Culture of Guruvayur

Guruvayur is famous for Sri Krishna Temple, and there are also many other temples nearby. It is a town that hardly sleeps as the shrine opens at 3 a.m, and people start the queues from midnight.

Further, devotional music can be heard from many of the temples’ loudspeakers through the night, and it is common to see people walking barefoot. Traditional meals served on banana leaves and the huge Guruvayur ‘Pappadam’ are delicacies.

Climate and Best Time to Visit

Guruvayur enjoys a moderate climate though Monsoons can be troublesome. So, the temple is open year-round, and there is no particular season for visiting: it always has massive crowds.

Accommodation

Being a tourist place, Kollam offers plenty of options for travelers to stay. If you are traveling solo and looking for low-budget hotels, you'll find them easily near the railway station. 

For mid-range hotels with friends and family, you can opt for hotels like Sterling Guruvayur, Ambalath Maple Leaves Home, etc. Further, if you seek a luxurious stay, you can go for Krishna Inn or Hotel Devaragam.