Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple
Lord Guruvayurappan (Krishna)
Guruvayur, Thrissur district, Kerala
'Dwarka of the South', one of the most important Krishna temples, famous for weddings and the elephant sanctuary.
History
Legend says the idol, once worshipped by Krishna's parents in Dwarka, was rescued from the flood by Guru (Brihaspati) and Vayu, who installed it here — hence Guru-Vayur. The poets Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (Narayaneeyam, 1586) and Poonthanam composed famous works here. The temple was damaged in 1970 by a fire and restored. Thousands of weddings and Annaprasanam (first rice feeding) ceremonies take place here every year. The Punnathur Kotta elephant camp holds the temple's elephants.
Architecture
Kerala style; square sanctum (Sreekovil) with copper-plated roof, Deepastambham (lamp tower) with many tiers.
Festivals
- Guruvayur Ekadasi
- Ulsavam (Feb–Mar)
- Vishu
- Janmashtami
Videos
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Plan your visit
Weather at the temple
Directions to Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple
How to reach
- By air
- Cochin International Airport, about 80 km
- By train
- Guruvayur station, about 1 km; Thrissur, about 30 km
- By road
- Buses from Thrissur and Kochi.
Near the temple
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