Sri Krishna Temple
It is the 4th biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day. More than 7 million pilgrims visit this Temple annually to have darshan of Sri Krishna. The temple schedule begins at 3 am with Nirmalaya darshan, followed by abhisheka. Temple is closed between 1pm and 4:30pm. Temple reopens at 4:30pm and continues until 10pm, when the Deity takes rest for the night. Throughout the day the elaborate worship of the Deity of Lord Krishna engages the temple priests and thousands of visitors in activities of Krishna consciousness. Accompanied by music and singing, the devotees daily offer hundreds of vegetarian dishes, colourful silks and other items of opulent clothing, jewelled ornaments, garlands of flowers, and even elephants as gifts to the Deity. During the mid-morning hours many wedding ceremonies take place, one after another. Devoted couples, believing that being married at the Guruvayur temple is a great blessing, come here from all over South India. In the evening, varieties of classical dance, such as Krishnattam and Kathakali, are performed for the public. The dancers combine dance and drama to depict the pastimes of Lord Krishna. These dance traditions have existed in South India for thousands of years.
History of Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple
About – Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple Timings & Sevas
Evening procession: The evening also brings the main event of the day, a Deity procession led by jewel and gold bedecked elephants, known as Siveli (derived from “Shri-Bali”). The beauty of the Deity and the grandeur of the elephants draws thousands of pilgrims to witness the procession each evening. Before the arrival of the Deity, elaborate preparations are made. Then, as the enthusiastic crowd stands expectant, the priests emerge from the Deity’s chamber with the utsava deity of Lord Krishna on a golden throne, which is placed on the lead elephant. Surrounded by priests bearing multi-coloured umbrellas and varieties of fans, by musicians playing drums, cymbals, gongs, and trumpets, and by exuberant devotees chanting the holy names of the Lord – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare || the Deity is carried around the temple compound, illuminated by ten thousand oil lamps.
After about 1 hour, with the circumambulation completed, the elephants return to the starting point and stand motionless while the Deity is brought down. Because the elephant procession is held every night of the year, the Guruvayur temple owns an elephant ranch, where 65 elephants are trained to perform ceremonial functions. In the history of the temple several elephants stand out as special. The outer ring of the temple was constructed by the great Zamorin King Manadeva Varma of Kozhikode, one of the celebrated devotees of Guruvayoorappan with traditional Kerala architecture. The temple worship is done by Nambudri Brahmins, who are expected to live within the temple precincts during their term of worship. Tulabharam is a common vow in which devotees weigh themselves on a balancing scale and donate to the Deity a quantity of an article equal in weight to their own body.
Krishnanattam, the dance performance done in honour of Lord Krishna is one of the major offering to the Lord. Krishnanattam is an exclusive art-form, unique to Guruvayur temple, not performed elsewhere. The art-form is the predecessor of Kathakali, hence the costumes looks similar. Ten pastimes of Lord Krishna’s life are adapted in this highly Sanskritzed dance-drama. The art-form was composed by Zamorin King H.H Maharaja Manadeva Varma in the 14th century, which later inspired the composition of Kerala’s celebrated art-form Kathakali. Krishnaattam is performed daily in evenings throughout the year except in the monsoon month of July. Prior bookings are needed to have performances of the art-form in one’s name and performances are done outside the temple, thus allowing anyone to watch the art-form.
Chuttuvillakku or Lamp Illumination around the temple is another important offering, done on every evening. The temple walls have mounted lamp posts all over and it is a treat to see the entire temple lighted up with lamps. Other major offerings to the Lord, which are returned back to the pilgrims are Paal Payasam (Milk Dessert), Bananas, Sugar, Avil (Flattened rice), Sandal balls, Butter and Unniappams (fried sweet banana balls). Some of the offerings are returned back to devotees only in evening, after the evening puja. At Guruvayur, whether on the days of great festivals or in the moments before the evening procession, when ten thousand oil lamps are being lit, the pilgrim naturally feels a growing desire to glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
5000 years have passed since the founding of the Guruvayur temple. During this time there have been many trials and tribulations. There were periods of royal patronage when Kings used to pay homage to the Deities by donating vast amounts of wealth. In those days the temple owned many smaller farming villages around Guruvayur, agricultural fields, vast herds of cows, and even 1,000 elephants. Then there were times when the armies of the Tipu Sultan ravaged all of South India, burning, killing, and destroying the sacred shrines. But whatever the difficulties, by mercy of Sri Guruvayoorappan, the temple has managed to survive and again rise to glory.
Since India’s independence from British rule in 1947, Guruvayur has not enjoyed the patronage of royalty, yet the temple has prospered and is presently one of the most popular in the country. The temple opens its door at 3 am to an already-anxiously awaiting crowd of several hundred pilgrims. The first event of the morning is called darshan, the waking of the deity. In the morning darshan the deity is bathed with scented waters, dressed in opulent clothing, and served a variety of delicious vegetarian foods. Throughout the day, there are other elaborate functions which include the offering of 1,000 coconuts and the lighting of oil lamps. Not a moment of the day slips away without there being some spectacular activity.
Read About Gajarajan Guruvayur Kesavan-The Elephant Devotee of Lord Guruvayur
