Guruvayur Tour & Travel Guide

Devine Tour to the Maha-Vishnu Temple

Guruvayur, also spelt as Guruvayuur, a town in Thrissur (Kerala), is famous for the Guruvayoor Temple. The temple is India's third largest temple housing Lord Krishna, Guruvayoorappan, the residing form of Lord Vishnu, has a distinct place in every heart & household of Kerala. This temple is said to be one of the 108 ambrosial Vishnu temples, worldwide. Guruvayur is one of the most revered places of worship in South India like Tirupathi and Sabarimala.

It is believed that Guruvayur Temple is around 5,000 years old and so is the Guruvayur idol. Though no historical records establish this, yet it's believed that Lord Shree Krishna, asked 2 sages to take his idol from his Dwarka temple as the city was being destroyed. He instructed the sages to establish it in Kerala, then known as Dakshin. It is further believed that the idol was brought by Vayu Deva and Brhaspathi and name Guruvayur merged from their names. Literature sights that there was a village named Kuruvayur, and it has its name across many references.

The notable landmark or sightseeing place here is the Guruvayur Temple. Often referred to as "Bhooloka Vaikuntam" meaning "holy abode of Vishnu on Earth", this temple's idol is an mesmerizing form of Lord Vishnu with the four arms carrying Panchajanya, Sudarshana Chakra, Kaumodaki and Lotus.

It is the Maha Vishnu avatar of lord here, which was revealed to Vasudeva & Devaki, during the Krishna yuga. Adorned with divine Tulasi garland the idol faces cast and is captivating. The pooja routines and temple rites & rituals were laid down by Adi Sankaracharya and later documented in the Tantric way by Chennas Narayanan Namboodiri and these are ardently followed till date.

Other places of attraction nearby, which have attracted pilgrims who come here are the Mammiyoor Temple, Perumthatta Shiva Kshetram (one of the 108 Siva Temples), Thirumangalam Temple (one of the 108 Swayambhu Siva Temple) and the Punnathur Kotta