A municipal town in Trissur district, Guruvayur is another famous destination in Kerala tour package. Guruvayur is home to the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple. The temple is fourth biggest in India and attracts pilgrims and devotees in a huge number not just on festive occasions but every day. Guruvayur is also known as Gurupavanapuri. Guruvayur is believed to be 5000 years old. The age of the place is said to be as old as the idol placed in the Guruvayur temple. There are several mythological beliefs about how the idols landed here and the same have been mentioned in Tamil literary works. Guruvayur and the temple became famous because of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri’s Narayaniyam.
Guruvayur Festival
Guruvayur attracts several pilgrims and devotees mainly because of the temple. The festivals celebrated here are also treated with high regards. The eleventh day of the lunar fortnight “ Ekadasi holds a lot of importance to the Hindus and is of significant importance to the Guruvayur temple. The Ekadasi Veelakku within elephant procession is a beautiful finale of the festival that’s absolutely serene and splendid to watch. The annual Carnatic music festival is also of high importance in Guruvayur.
Mammiyur Mahadevan temple is another place of worship that attracts devotees. A strict dress code is required to be maintained here and you do not have to wait for Darshans at the temple.
The Devaswom museum located inside the office annex near the temple houses a vivid and exclusive collection that plays an important role in the cultural promotion of the temple.
Chowalloor temple also known as the Mahadev temple and Parthasarthy temple are also ranked within the top ten places of attraction and worship in Guruvayur. Known for its architectural beauty and structural magnificence- Thiruvamabadi Krishna shrine is an ancient temple in North and central Kerala. The lush green and pollution free backdrop of the Venkatachalapathy temple attracts several pilgrims and tourists for both offering prayers as well as the clean and green surrounding.
Tourist attractions near Guruvayur
The institute of Mural painting located at the east gate of Guruvayur temple houses mural paintings by Shri Mammiyoor Krishnankutty makes for an interesting attraction in Guruvayur.
Portraying the life of St Thomas thePalayur church is one of the seven ancient churches that were set by the saint. The church is a standing example of some exemplary architectural work. The church comprises of 14 granite statues show casing the various life stages of St Thomas.
For tourists and newlyweds some of the places of attraction and interest are the Guruvayur elephant camp located in Punnathur Kotta. The elephant sanctuary is considered as one of the largest elephant sanctuaries in the world and it is a favorite go to place for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiast.