Guruvayur Temple

About 130 crore people live in India, and all these people indeed belong to one religion or another. The majority of the population in India follows Hinduism and Islam, and in Hinduism, many gods and goddesses are worshipped. This article will talk about Guruvayur Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna in South India.

About Guruvayur Temple

This temple is located in Guruvayur in the Thrissur district of Kerala, dedicated to Lord Krishna. Vaikuntha is the place where Lord Vishnu resides. This temple is also called Vaikuntha of Bhulok, which means Guruvayur temple is the abode of Lord Vishnu on the Earth. It is believed that salvation is attained by the sight of God in this temple.

The main deity of Guruvayur Temple

The main Deity of this temple is Lord Guruvayurappan, whose idol is established in the central part of the temple. The idol of Lord Guruvayurappan in the Guruvayur temple has four arms. Lord Guruvayurappan holds a conch in one hand, also known as Panchajanya, a discus in the other hand known as Sudarshana Chakra, a mace known as Kaumodaki in the third hand, and a lotus flower in the fourth hand.

People believe that when Lord Krishna was born, Lord Vishnu gave vision to Devaki and Vasudev, and this idol represents the same form of Lord Vishnu. The established idol in this temple is a unique specimen of sculpture. It is said that this temple has been constructed in this way that the first ray of sun falls at the feet of Lord Guruvayurappan.

Guruvayur Temple Mythology

Guruvayur Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, is very well-known in South India. There are many stories about the establishment of this temple, out of which one story is the most popular. It is said that when Dwarka, the city of Lord Krishna, was drowning in the sea. Then Lord Shri Krishna sent a message to Shri Brihaspati Dev, the Guru of the Gods, that the idol of his family deity, worshiped by his father Vasudev and mother Devaki, should be saved from drowning.

As soon as Lord Brihaspati receives this message, he immediately leaves for Dwarka. However, by the time Brihaspati arrived in Dwarka, the idol, along with the city, had drowned in the sea. But Lord Brihaspati took that idol out of the sea with his power. But now Brihaspati Dev got into the thought that where this idol should be established. Then there was a search for a better place to establish this idol. After much research, guru Brihaspati found a lotus flower-like lake in the south, where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati used to come. Then Guru Brihaspati prayed to Lord Shiva that he wanted to establish this idol at this place. Then, on Lord Shiva's orders, Guru Brihaspati and the wind God Vayu established that idol at Guruvayur in the Thrissur district of Kerala. It is said thatSome part of this temple was rebuilt or renovated in 1638.

Guruvayurappan

The name of the main deity of this temple is composed of three words Guru-Vayur-Appan. Here word Gururefers to the Guru Brihaspati, and word Vayur represents the Deity of wind (Vayu), and the last word is Appan which means lord in the Malayalam language. So, in this way, the meaning of Guruvayurappan is that idol of Lord Vishnu, which was established here by Guru Brihaspati, and Vayu Dev.

And on the request of the Guru of the Gods Brihaspati and Vayu Dev, the architect of the gods, Lord Vishwakarma, built this temple. This whole story is described in the Mahabharata by sage Dattatreya to Janamejaya, the son of King Parikshit, and the idol of Lord Guruvayurappan in the sanctum sanctorum of this temple is worshiped by law according to the Vedic tradition laid down by the Shankaracharya.

Main festival and other deities of this temple

The main festivals celebrated in Guruvayur temple are Aarattu, Shri Krishna Janmashtami, and Vrishchika Ekadashi. Aarattu is a festival celebrated for 10 days. The worship of Mammiyur Shiva immediately after Lord Guruvayurappan has special significance. Lord Guruvayurappan, Lord Ganapati, Ayyappan, and Bhagwati are also worshiped in this Temple. And near this Temple, there is also a temple of Lord Ganesha and Nagdevta.

A Sacred Pond

There is a pond in this temple complex which is called Rudratheertham. It is believed that Lord Shiva used to bathe in this pond for thousands of years, due to which the name of this pond is Rudratheertham. As we know, Lord Shiva is also known by many other names, out of which one name of Lord Shiva is Rudra.

How to Reach

This temple is located in Guruvayur in Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala. So, if you want to worship Lord Krishna in this temple, you have to come to Guruvayur first. There are three options by which you can come to Guruvayur. The first option is by train, the second is by air, or the third option is by road. If you want to come by train to Guruvayur, the nearest railway station is Guruvayur Railway Station, four kilometers from this temple. Kochi and Coimbatore are the major railway stations near Guruvayur.

If you want to come to Palani by flight, you have to come to Coimbatore or Kochi Airport because there is no airport in Guruvayur city and from here you can come by taxi and bus to Guruvayur. And the nearest airport is Kochi International Airport, about 80 kilometers away from Guruvayur city. Now the third option is to reach Guruvayur by Road. You can easily reach Guruvayur by road because this city is well connected with all the major cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. You can easily reach Guruvayur by road with the help of a car, bus, taxi, and bike. Here, the facility of government buses is also available, whose fares are significantly lower than those of private buses.

Conclusion

This temple is also called Dwarka of South India. It is believed that Guruvayur Temple is about 5000 years old. The idol of God established in this temple was not established by any human but by Guru of Gods Brihaspati himself. This temple is one of the most important places of worship for all the Hindus of Kerala. Guruvayur Devaswom Board is the governing body that manages and maintains this temple. If anyone wants to go inside this temple, there is a strict dress code for males and females. So, if you also want to visit this temple and worship Lord Krishna in this temple, then plan your journey as soon as possible.