Guruvayur Temple
Guruvayur temple is the holy place of Hindus. It is sited in the town named as Guruvayur which is in Kerala (India). The temple is completely devoted to Lord Krishna.Another name of the temple is BHULOKA VAIKUNTA meaning SACRED PLACE OF VISHNU ON EARTH. The worship takes place in the temple premises with full discipline and in a timely manner. The main priest of the sanctum use to take entry in the shrine at 2:30 AM and does not drink anything up-till the puja held at 12:30 PM. The entries of non-hindus are not allowed in the temple premises. The architecture and structure of this temple represents stunning looks with sacred beauty. Large number of devotees use to visit this temple and god heard the voice of every devotee. The dress code is strictly followed by devotees of the temple. Men have to wear MUNDU around their waist but they are not allowed to cover their chest but now they can cover their chest with ‘vesthi’. Boys are allowed to wear short by keeping their chest uncovered. Girls and women cannot wear trousers and short skirts. They can wear sari, long skirt, blouses and yet now they can also wear salwar suits.
Getting There
One can reach the temple of Guruvayur by mean of three modes Road, Rail and Air. The temple west has KSRTC bus stand and its east has private bus stand. The east of the temple has railway station which connects Guruvayur to many cities. Guruvayur is located near two airports called Kochi international airport (Nedumbassery) and Calicut (Kozhikode) airport.
Security And Some Tips
The mobile phones and cameras are not allowed to be taken into the temple premises for security purpose. There are strict security arrangements at the shrine. 58 CCTV cameras are installed within the shrine so as to visualize each and every activity of devotee. The sanctum consists of 18 hand-held metal detectors and 10 multi-zone door frame metal detectors for avoiding the entrance of unwanted materials like gun, knife, bomb etc. Devotees should not carry cash and ornaments with them. They should place their luggage at safe and secure place.
When To Visit
The best time to visit the temple is during the month of October to march. It is opened all the days of the week. The timings are 3:00 AM to 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM. There is no entry fee to visit the temple. The visit duration is 1 to 2 hours.
What To See And Do
The architecture followed by this temple belongs to the typical style of Kerala. The northern side of the temple comprises the tank called Rudratheertham. There exist beautiful frescos and paintings to decorate the walls of the temple. The god’s idol consists of four arms. One arm holds conch Pancajanya, second contains Sudarshana Chakra, third entails mace Kaumodaki and fourth arm has a lotus.The deity of the god is adorned with garlands of flowers and gold jewelry. Bananas, jaggery and coconuts are distributed here as Prasad. 60 elephants are trained here to do the work of the temple. They are decorated in a beautiful manner.
Where To Stay
There are many dharamshalas and youth hostels in Guruvayur which provides stay at budget prices. They are Sathaya Inn, Govind Inn, NSS Guest House, Kairali Tourist Home, Balkrishna Lodge, Tourist Home and Aradhana Tourist Home etc.
Where Else To Stay
Yatris can also have their stay at hotels near this temple as they provide luxury. These hotels are
Hotel Elite, Kanoos Residency, Ambady Kannan Resorts, Bhasauri Inn, Rugmini Regency, Hotel Sree Gokulam Sabari, Bhasauri Inn and Anand Krishan Residency.
Festivals
Festivals are celebrated here with great zeal of enthusiasm. These festivals are Ekadasi Festival, Chembai Music Festival, Utsavam or Annual Festival and Mandala Pooja etc.
Side Trips
There are many places to visit near Guruvayur temple. These places are Devaswom Museum, Sree Krishna Temple, Narayanamkulangara Temple, Venkitachalapathy Temple, Elephant Camp, Jayshree Theatre, Manathala Viswanatha Temple, Mangotte Subramanya Temple, Thiruvathra Gramakullam Bhagwati Temple and Chowalloor Siva Temple etc.
Travel Tips
Yatris should take a personal diary with them as cameras are not allowed to be taken into the shrine. This diary is meant for keeping the whole record of the trip along with the feelings and emotions at that moment. Yatris should also hire a tourist guide to have a complete knowledge of the temple including its history. They should also take a first aid for curing the frequent injury.
Hence, this visit is the best way to reach towards the heart of the Lord Krishna.
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