Guruvayur temple is located at Thrissur district in Kerala. The main deity Sree Guruvayurappan is called Guruvayur Krishnan. The temple is the fourth largest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees visiting per day. The word Guruvayur can be split into Guru and Vayu, thus giving importance to the fact that the idol of Lord Krishna was installed by Brihaspati, the Guru, and Vayu, the God of Winds.
The Guruvayur temple timings starts at 3 am and closes after the daily poojas and rituals around 10 pm. normally there are five poojas and three circumambulatory processions called Seeveli, propitiating the celestial deities and carrying the Loard's Thidambu on elephant's back. During the days of Udayasthamana Poojas there will be a total of twenty one poojas.
Nobody returns from a temple, especially from Guruvayur temple without making offerings, however small that might be. An offering is quite often misinterpreted as a bribe given to the deity for a favour. Actually, it is the renunciation of a devotee, as the real test of one’s devotion. The Lord accepts whatever is given in devotion or “Bhakthi” and rejects everything, however expensive, offered without it. Online booking also available
Offering one's weight of such materials as water, coconut, butter, sugar, fruits, copper, silver, gold or any other materials is a popular vow taken by devotees. The Guruvayur devaswom will supply most of these materials. There is no advance booking, but for materials such as flowers, etc., which may not be immediately available for thulabharam offerings, the Devaswom should be informed at least a day in advance, the devotee should bring them.
Guruvayur Choroonu is the first rice-giving ceremony of a child conducted before the Lord Guruvayurappan. All the items including cooked rice, payasam (sweet preparation of rice and jaggery; rice, sugar & milk) plantain etc. are placed on a banana leaf and the children are having each of these. Take the ticket for choroonu from ticket counter with the rate of Rupees 100 before enetring the annaprashan Hall.
Guruvayrur temple history reveals that on 30th November 1970, after the 6th day of the annual Ekadasi festival, a disastrous fire broke out in the temple Hindus; Muslims & Christians fought the fire shoulder to shoulder. Despite 5 hours of the raging fire, the Srikovil, the vigraha of Guruvayurappan, and the sub shrines of Ganesha, Ayyappa and Devi, and the flag staff remained intact – a miracle indeed of recent times!!
There are three kalyanamandapams in front of Guruvayur Temple for marriage, only the tie knot ceremony will take place in the eastern entrance of the temple mandapam, rest all functions normally take place in wedding halls near Guruvayoor Temple.
Guruvayur temple is a pilgrim center for destination weddings. Hundreds of wedding ceremonies take place at Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on auspicious days and couple gets blessing from the Lord Krishna for a happy long marriage life.
There are so many 5 star hotels, 3 star hotels, budget hotels are in Guruvayur. The Guruvayur Devaswom board also provides accommodation rooms facilities in Kousthubam, Sreevalsam and Panjajanyam with a budget manner.