Guruvayur Temple Thrissur

About Guruvayur Temple:

Guruvayoor Temple of Thrissur is a very important and famous pilgrimage. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped as Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The town where this temple is located is known by the name of Thrissur Guruvayoor. The temple of Guruvayur in Trichur, Kerala is worth a visit and just a mere sight of the Lord’s idol in its grandeur is enough to make you feel pure and blessed. The temple follows a strict decorum and only Hindus are allowed inside. The temple is said to have been built by Guru (preceptor of Gods) and Vayu (God of winds). The idol is built out of a rare stone called Patala Anjana. The idol of Lord Vishnu is shown having four arms, carrying a conch, a discus (Sudharshana Chakra), a mace and a lotus and is decked with a Tulasi (basil leaves) and rose garlands and pearl necklaces. The walls of the main temple shrine are decorated with splendid paintings that depict stories from the life of Lord Krishna. There are many paintings that belong to the 17th century that adorn the sacred walls here. The roof and two doors inside the temple are covered with gold. In the eastern side in front of the temple entrance stands a tall Dhwajasthambam (flag post), which measures 33 meters and is entirely gold plated. Right adjacent to it, one can find a 7-meter high pillar of lamps known as the Dipastambham. This magnificent pillar of lamps has 13 circular receptacles on top of each other that look brilliant when lit in the evening. Other than the main idol of Lord Vishnu, one can also find idols of Lord Ganesha, Lord Ayyappa and Goddess Durga. The temple holds the maximum number of weddings and “Annaprasanam”, which means feeding rice to a child for the first time.

General Information about Guruvayur Temple:

Location: Thrissur

State: Kerala

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Language: Malayalam, English, Hindi

Temperature: Max 36˚C, Min 28˚C (summer), Max 28˚C, Min 18˚C (winter)

Best Season: October to March

How to Reach Guruvayur Temple:

By Air:

The nearest airport to Thrissur is Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi, at a distance of 55 km. Taxi services are available from Kochi to Thrissur costing about Rs 700. Kochi airport is well connected to all major airports in India and also connected to many foreign cities. Direct flights are available to Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

By Rail:

Thrissur is a major railhead in the Southern Railway. Thrissur is well connected by trains to all major stations in India.

By Road:

Frequent bus services are available from all cities in Kerala to Thrissur. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses connect Thrissur with other cities. Private bus services are available locally in the city for easy travel. Super deluxe buses connect Thrissur with other important cities like Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Palaghat, Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and Bangalore.

By Local Transport:

• By Bus – local bus service system is cheap.

• By Auto rickshaw – Auto rickshaws are the main form of local transport, if you don’t have your own means of transportation. Auto rickshaws running in the city limits are to use fare meters, while the ones from the adjacent areas need not use them. However it is a rule that such auto rickshaws without metres should not pick up passengers within city limits. There is a pre-paid auto rickshaw counter at Thrissur Railway Station.

• By Taxi – Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. Please note that there are no local Taxis (Yellow cabs or the one’s having yellow roof and black body). The taxis known as ‘Tourist taxis’ are meant for long travel or one day trips.

• By Car – There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self drive.

• By Bike – Bikes are available for rental in Thrissur. This is available for a week or more than that.

• By Walk – Many places of attractions are near by each other so you could walk between them.