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The Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple (Malayalam: ഗുരുവായൂര്‍ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണ ക്ഷേത്രം) is one of the most important and sacred pilgrim centres of Kerala. It is located in Guruvayur town of Thrissur district in Kerala ,India and is easily accessible by road and rail. The presiding deity is MahaVishnu, in the standing posture with four hands which carry a Sankhu(conch), Sudarshana chakram (a serrated disk),lotus and mace. He is worshipped as Balakrishna, the full avatar (Purnaavatara) of Mahavishnu^[1] . The idol is made of a rare stone known as Patala Anjana. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Guruvayoorappan. ... Guruvayurappan (Malayalam: , Devanagari ) or Guruvayoorappan (transliterated guruvāyÅ«rappan) is a form of Vishnu worshipped and held in reverence by Hindus, predominantly in South India. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം ) is the language spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... This article is about town. ... An elephant carrying Thidambu during Thrissur pooram festival. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being (i. ... Mahavishnu is the aspect of Vishnu, the Absolute which is beyond human comprehension and is beyond all attributes. ...

History

The Guruvayur temple was known as "Bhooloka Vaikuntha" and is believed to be at least 5,000 years old^[2].The main idol is believed to have been installed by Brihaspati and Vayu, and to have been blessed by Shiva and Parvati. The temple is believed to be built by Vishvakarman, the divine architect. Over the years, Guruvayur has increased in popularity, especially after the 16th century when it became one of the most popular pilgrimage centres in Kerala. In Hinduism, Brihaspati is the god of magic and prayer. ... Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (水) Japanese Earth (地) | Water (水) | Fire (火) | Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Hinduism and Buddhism Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water In Hinduism, Vayu (Sanskrit वायु (properly transliterated as Vāyu), also known as Vāta वात, Pavana पवन, or Pr... For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ... For the Harry Potter character, see Parvati Patil. ... Image:Vishvakarma. ...

Early history

The earliest reference for Guruvayur is found in a fourteenth century Tamil work 'Kokasandesam', in which it is described as Kuruvayur. Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ...

Many references about Guruvayur can be seen in many works dated as early as 16th century . But it was Melpathur's Narayaneeyam that made the Temple famous. Narayaneeyam is a devotional Sanskrit work, in the form of a poetical hymn, consisting of 1034 verses (called slokas in Sanskrit). ...

Fire

On November 30,1970, a fiery blaze broke out in the temple complex. It began from the Western Chuttambalam and raged for five hours, burning everything in its path except the sanctified Sreekovil. The Vigraha (murti), shrines of Ganapati, Sastha, Bhagavati and the flag staff remained miraculously untouched. People from all walks of life, irrespective of age, caste, creed and religion fought the fire. A large clay Ganesha murti at Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, 2004 In Hinduism, a murti (Devanagari: मूर्ति) typically refers to an image in which the Divine Spirit is murta, or expressed. ... Popular image of Ganesh In Hinduism, Ganesha (Gaṇeśa, lord of the hosts, also spelled Ganesa and sometimes referred to as Ganesh in Hindi, Bengali and other Indian vernaculars) is the god of wisdom, intelligence, education and prudence. ... Bhagavathi or Bhagavati (meaning goddess in Sanskrit) is the general way people refer to the HIndu goddesses in Malayalam language of Kerala. ...

This shocking incidence of fire took place during the season of Ekadasivilakku. On this day Vilakku was celebrated on a grand scale and all the lamps in the Vilakkumatam were lit. After the Seeveli procession had concluded, the function came to an end and the gates of Gopuram were closed. Around 1.00 am, somebody in the immediate neighbourhood near the western chuttambalam saw a blaze from within the temple. Roused by the news, masses of people rushed to the temple and joined in fighting the fire with water and sand. Later, the fire force units of Ponnani, Trichur and FACT arrived and started fighting the fire. It was brought under control by 5.30 am. , Ponnani is a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. ... For the district with the same name, see Thrissur district. ...

Seeing the uncontrollable fire , the authorities had already removed the valuables from the Sreekovil. The Ganapati murti, Sastha murti and the main murti of Lord Guruvayurappan were shifted to the Koothambalam and then to a more safer place, the residence of the Tantri. The fire ravaged the whole of Chuttambalam, the entire Vilakkumatam on the west, south and north sides. The Chuttambalam was only 3 yards from the holy Sreekovil, however the fire did not even light a spark on the dry garlands at the Sreekovil. Koothambalam is a theater hall for staging kuttu, an ancient dramatic form of art famous in Kerala, South India. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sreekovil or the Sanctum sanctorum is the building in which the idol of the deity in a Hindu Temple is installed. ...

Renovation

After the fire, extensive renovation work was undertaken. Eminent astrologers of Kerala were requested to attend the meeting and decide what the Lord desired. Except for the widening of the gates at the North and East entrance, every other proposal put forth by the committee was approved by Lord Guruvayurapan(as interpreted by the astrologers). The foundation stone for the renovation was laid by His Holiness Jagatguru Kanchi Kamakoti Matadhipathy Jayendra Saraswathy Swamikal. The ten round pillars in the two Vathilmatam were magnificently carved. The eastern pillar on the southern Vathilmatam, at the foot of which Melpathur meditated and wrote the Narayaneeyam was not removed. After the great fire, the Vilakkumatam, for the first time, was lighted on Vishu day,14th April, 1973. An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. ... Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (1559-1632), third student of Achyuta Pisharati, was a member of Madhava of Sangamagramas school of Astronomy and Mathematics. ... Narayaneeyam is a devotional Sanskrit work, in the form of a poetical hymn, consisting of 1034 verses (called slokas in Sanskrit). ...

Legends

Sri Narada purana mentions Guruvayurpura mahatmyan and describes how Janamejaya was cured of leprosy by taking refuge under the feet of Guruvayuruppa. The Pandavas handed over the kingdom to their grandson Parikshit, and left for the forest to spend their last days. Parikshit died of the curse of a saint, who cursed that Parikshit will die of snake bite by Taksaka, the king of serpents. After the death of Parikshit he was succeeded by his son Janamejaya. Janamejaya conducted a sacrifice to destroy all the snakes of the world including Takshaka, who was the cause of his father's death . Hundreds of thousands of snakes fell into the sacrificial fire and were killed, but the sacrifice was stopped before Takshaka was killed, by a Brahmin called Astika. Janamejaya, was the son of Arjunas (Mahabharata)grandson Parikishit. ... The Pandavas were the five sons of the king Pandu. ... Parikshita is in the Mahabharata epic the successor of Yudhisthira to the throne of Hastinapura. ...

Since Janamejaya was responsible for the death of millions of snakes, he was afflicted with leprosy. He lost all hope of a cure. One day Sage Atreya (son of Atri) came before Janamejaya and told him to take refuge under the feet of Krishna at Guruvayoor. Atreya told that in the temple at Guruvayyoor the effulgence of Sri Hari is at its best and Vishnu showers his blessings on all devotees. Hearing this, Janamejaya wanted to know the full details of the Sthala purana and the greatness of the temple. Guruvayoor Temple Entrance Guruvayoor is a small town in the Trissur district of Kerala, south India. ... Hari (Sanskrit: हरि) is another name of Vishnu or God in Vaishnavism, Smarta or Advaitan Hinduism, and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama. ...

Sthala Purana

Guruvayur Temple entrance

Bhagwan Vishnu himself worshipped the idol (made out of Pathala Anjanam)at Guruvayur . Vishnu gave the idol to Brahma . Prajapati Sutapa and his wife Prsni did penance to Brahma, and pleased with their devotion Brahma gave them this idol. Sutapa and his wife Prsni worshipped the idol with such devotion that Mahavishnu Himself appeared before them for granting them a boon. In their over enthusiasm they asked thrice "We need a son equivalent to you" . Mahavishnu told them that He Himself will be born as their son in three different janmas (birth) and in all the three janmas you will get the vigraha given to you by Brahma . Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x720, 83 KB)Gurovayoor temple eastern entrance! File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x720, 83 KB)Gurovayoor temple eastern entrance! File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the first janma in Satya Yuga, Mahavishnu was born as Prsnigarbha, as son of Sutapa and Prsni. Psrigarba instructed the world the importance of Brahmacharya to the world. The Satya Yuga (Devanagari: सत्य युग), also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the Yuga (Age or Era) of Truth, when humankind is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and mankind will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme. ... Prsnigarbha is the Avatar who appeared before Dhruva. ...

In the second janma, Sutapa and his wife Prsni were born as Kashayap and Aditi and Mahavishnu was born as Vamana, their son in Treta Yuga. The Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of man, in the religion of Hinduism, following the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and preceding the Dvapara Yuga. ...

In Dwapar Yuga, Krishna was born as son of Vasudeva and Devaki . Dwapar Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, in the religion of Hinduism. ... This article is about the Hindu deity. ...

In Dwapar Yuga the idol was given to them by Daumya for worship. Sri Krishna established a big temple at Dwaraka and installed this idol. At the time of swargaarohana Krishna instructed his devotee Udhava to install the idol at a sacred place with the help of Brihaspathi, the guru of the Devas and Vayu, the wind God. They (Guru and Vayu) took the idol and came down to a place down south and installed it. This is why the place got its name Guruvayu, where ur means place. It is also said that Shiva and his Wife Parvati were present at the auspicious moment and because there was a lack of space in the temple premises, Shiva moved a little further away, and gives his blessings from Mammiyoor Temple, which is a ten minute walk from the Guruvayoor Temple. Every devotee who goes to Guruvayur is supposed to go to Mammiyoor also, as the ritual goes. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple premises. The temple tank is known as Rudra thirtham Dwapar Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, in the religion of Hinduism. ... In Hindu mythology, Brihaspati (also known as Brahmanaspati) is the guru of the Devas and the chief nemesis of Shukracharya, the guru of the Danavas. ... For other uses, see Deva (disambiguation). ... Chinese Wood (木) | Fire (火) Earth (土) | Metal (金) | Water (水) Japanese Earth (地) | Water (水) | Fire (火) | Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Hinduism and Buddhism Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water In Hinduism, Vayu (Sanskrit वायु (properly transliterated as Vāyu), also known as Vāta वात, Pavana पवन, or Pr... For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ... For the Harry Potter character, see Parvati Patil. ... Mammiyoor temple is a Shiva temple near Guruvayoor temple, Kerala, south India. ... Mammiyoor temple is a Shiva temple near Guruvayoor temple, Kerala, south India. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

Elephant Sanctuary at Punnathur kotta, Guruvayoor.

Image File history File links Anakotta1. ... Image File history File links Anakotta1. ... The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, was founded in 1995 as the United States first elephant refuge, recreating a natural habitat for sick, old, and/or needy elephants. ... Elephant Sanctuary at Punnathur kotta, Guruvayoor. ... Guruvayoor Temple Entrance Guruvayoor is a small town in the Trissur district of Kerala, south India. ...

Temple architecture

The temple is built conforming to the typical Kerala temple architecture style . Vishwakarma, the divine architect built the first temple here. He built the temple in such a manner that Surya(Sun) himself pays obeisance to Vishnu on Vishu day. On the day of Vishu , the first rays of the sun fall directly at the feet of Vishnu. Vishwakarma is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. ... For the intercontinental ballistic missile, see Surya (missile). ... A traditional vishu kanni setting Vishu (Malayalam:വിഷു)-(American Vjéshu) is a festival held in the state of Kerala (and adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) in India around the first day in the Malayalam month of Medam (April – May). ...

The main entrance to the temple is through the eastern side. There is also an entrance from western side. The idol is visible from the main entrance itself.

Famous devotees

• Melputhoor Narayana Bhattathiripad
• Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
• Poonthanam
• Manjula
• Villwamangalam
• Kururamma
• Manavedan
• Kudallur Kunjhikkavu Namboodiri

Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (1559-1632), third student of Achyuta Pisharati, was a member of Madhava of Sangamagramas school of Astronomy and Mathematics. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

See also

• Guruvayur Satyagraha
• Guruvayoorappa
• Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
• Guruvayur Keshavan famous temple elephant
• Mammiyoor Temple
• Mammiyoor
• Punnathur kotta

Guruvayur Satyagraha took place in (1931 - 32) was a Satyagraha in Trichur in Travancore now part of Kerala seeking entry for untouchables into the Guruvayur Temple. ... Guruvayurappan (Malayalam: , Devanagari ) or Guruvayoorappan (transliterated guruvāyūrappan) is a form of Vishnu worshipped and held in reverence by Hindus, predominantly in South India. ... Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, (Malayalam: ശ്രീ പത്മനാഭ സ്വാമി ക്ഷേത്രം) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located inside the East Fort in city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. ... Guruvayur Kesavan with his mahouts. ... Mammiyoor temple is a Shiva temple near Guruvayoor temple, Kerala, south India. ... Mammiyoor temple is a Shiva temple near Guruvayoor temple, Kerala, south India. ... Elephant Sanctuary at Punnathur kotta, Guruvayoor. ...

Notes

1. ^ mahaVishnu
2. ^ Guruvayur Devaswom

External links

• Official site of Guruvayur Devasom
• Web Abode of Guruvayoorappan
• Satelitte image of the Temple
• Guruvayoor temple
• Guruvayoor Temple from the book: Temples and Legends of Kerala
• Read Useful Details abour Sri Guruvayoor Temple

Entrance of Guruvayur temple Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 1872 pixel, file size: 1. ...	Entrance of Guruvayur temple Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x1872, 2029 KB) Entrance of Guruvayur temple. ...	Shops in front of Guruvayur temple Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 1872 pixel, file size: 2. ...	Entrance to Guruvayur temple Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 1872 pixel, file size: 2. ...
Schedule of daily Pooja

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