GURUVAYUR

 GURUVAYUR

Guruvayur is a noted town in Trissur district of Kerala. It is a small but serene town with several small temples in a radius of a few kilometers from this temple town. However, the place is a heartthrob of Devotees of Lord Krishna, in view of the temple for Krishna whose deity is tiny but held in esteem for the deity’s radiance as a powerful ‘healer’ and people throng the place just for a glimpse of the child Krishna.  Honestly, I called it a glimpse because one has to move through narrow corridor in front of the ‘sanctum sanctorum’, in a steadily moving queue with very little scope to stand for over 30 seconds. If one desires a longer glimpse, [s] he may have to repeat the exercise of moving in a queue from the start again. A brief glimpse of Krishna in Guruvayur is a scintillating experience by a feeling of ‘satisfaction’ typical by a ‘dharshan’ of the most sought after.

The importance that ‘Guruvayur’ has gained over the years can be visibly felt by its connectivity by road /rail and the facilities for stay and food. An express train- ‘Chennai Guruvayur’Express connects most places of Tamilnadu to Guruvayur and vice-versa.  Another option could be to take to travel by road along western districts of Tamil nadu – Say Pollachi/ Coimbatore- Palakkad- Trissur- Guruvayur.

There are a large number of hotels for stay and food, besides the ones organized by Guruvayur Dewaswam board. Also, the temple has created facilities for ‘free’ supply of food to devotees in specifically organized ‘Dining halls‘ in the vicinity of temple. It is a matter of preference for us to choose a facility convenient to us. Access to the precincts of the temple can be had by availing of roads defined as Nadas’ –East, West, South based on the location of the road with reference to the direction relative to temple. I have not had the occasion to know of the ‘north nada’ to the temple. The most popular of course is the Eat Nada that connects key locales as Bus stand, and the road connecting with Railway station. There are connecting roads to the other nadas from ‘East’.  Being the main thoroughfare, the East Nada has a straight lay out facilitating a distant vision of the Temple from across a kilometer or so. It is quite an imposing view from that point- the main entry. A statue of the Divine bird ‘Garuda’ welcomes us as we enter the East nada. On either side along East nada several business establishments like hotels, Eateries and shops are located.

Legend has it that, Lord Krishna after the ‘Kurukshetra’ battle wanted to relax in some calm place rich in vegetation. In an effort to locate a place of such description, the two Divine personalities, ‘Guru’ and ‘Vaayu’ were surveying the area. In that mission, when they came to this place they found ‘Lord Shiva’. The Lord who was  here then suggested ‘Let Lord Krishna’ relax here ; I shall move to a nearby locale’. So, Lord Shiva is in ‘Mammiyur’ just about 1 km Westward from Guruvayur. In honour of the two persons –Guru and Vayu – the place is named Guruvayur. Also, legend has it that any visit to Guruvayur’ can be complete only if the devotee visits ‘Mammiyur’.                                                                                                   An announcement to thius effect is placed in the outer ‘praakaara’ exterior to ‘Bagvathi’ sanctum sanctorum’ just North of Guruvayurappan ‘sannadhi’.

There are a few temples within or near the limits of Guruvayur. These include Mammiyur [ Shiva temple], Chamundeeswari [Shakthi temple], Parthasarathy temple , Lord Venkatachalapathi temple. Dharshan can be had in all these temples in about 2 hours. A night and 2 day time stay at Guruvayur would suffice for the nearby visits including ‘AAnaikkottaaram’ about 5 KM where all temple elephants of Guruvayur are maintained in natural surroundings. Some 64 elephants are kept. Except the very old ones, others are released for temple duty in pairs for a month in turns.

The legendary elephant ‘Kesavan’ of Guruvayur, after serving Lord for about 65 years , despite failing health carried the Deity in procession and rushed out of the temple and breathed his last just outside the temple on an ‘EKADHASI’ day and dropped dead. In honour of this elephant a life-like statue of KESAVAN is erected in on a platform, south of the temple. Guruvayur temple offers Dharshan during most hours except for a brief 2- 2 1/₂                hours between 3-15 am and 5-30 am or so, just after ‘Nirmalyam’  dharshan around 2.40 am to 3.15 am. On most days ‘Sree veli’ dharshan is available--one each in the morning [6-30am] and evening [4-45pm,] when Lord Guruvayurappan [Uthsava moorthy] is taken on a 3 round procession within the temple premises. On special occasions, only 2 0r 5 rounds are also performed. During ‘Sree veli’, Lord is taken on a decorated elephant. Most temple elephants in Kerala are tuskers, unlike in Tamil nadu. Just prior to ‘Sree veli’ senior citizens are permitted entry through a separate queue [6.00 AM and 4.00 PM]. A trip to ‘Guruvayur’ is more than a rewarding experience always by the sheer variety of ‘Alankaras’   presented on sessions of Dharshan. Besides, the celebrated ‘NARAYANEEYAM’ WAS RENDERED in the hall opposite the deity by Sri. Narayana Bhattathiri [of Melapaththur]- a staunch devotee of Sri. Guruvayurappan.  A divine place so close to us.

Prof. K. Raman