Guruvayur

Guruvayur one of the holiest city in South Indian, is situated in the state of Kerala. Devotees consider it to be synonymous with Dwarka and come here in thousands throughout the year to pay homage to Guruvayurappan, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The town is dotted with numerous holy shrines and temples, among which the most significant is the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple. Also known as the Bhukola Vaikunta, it means ‘The Holy Abode of Lord Vishnu.’

There is an interesting story behind the name of the place. The name is made of three words, Guru, referred here as Brihaspati; Vayu akin to wind and Oor meaning land. At the beginning of Kalauga, the guru found a floating statue of Lord Krishna, which he placed in the temple with the help of Vayu (wind). There are several other stories about the origin of the place, but the one mentioned here still remains the most widely accepted.

The Krishna statue, which Lord Brihaspati installed at the temple, represents Krishna with his four arms. He carries in his arms a conch-panchjanya; a discus- Sudharshana Chakra; the mace- Koumudaki and a lotus.

One important thing to remember while visiting the temple is that even in the modern times, it adheres by the rules laid down by the Samuthiri Kings, who ruled the region during the time of the temple construction. This is the reason why non-Hindus cannot enter the temple premises. Even the main idol of Mahavishnu in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, which is 4 feet tall, faces the east, in sync with the placement pattern of the times bygone.

Reaching the holy town of Guruvayur is not a problem. It is well connected with major cities via rail and road. The nearest major railhead is at Thrissur, 26 km from here. The nearest airport is at Kochi, 110 km from here and the road from all major nearby towns are well networked for reliable transport.