Guruvayoor is counted among the top pilgrimage destinations in Kerala, and is home to the fourth largest temple in India. The place unfolds the state’s most beautiful and astounding temples, and is counted amongst the top tourism cities in Kerala. Rich in natural beauty, Guruvayoor encloses some superbly built temples that are famous across the globe.
Legend behind Guruvayoor
According to popular beliefs, Lord Krishna knew that Dwarka would soon wash into seas, and in order to protect the idol of Lord Vishnu he instructed Guru and Vayu to search for another sacred place. The idol of Vishnu was then relocated to this place and that’s how the place came on the tourism map of India.
Another prominent temple here is the Mammiyoor Temple. This famous Shiva Temple is famed for its beautiful wall paintings and exquisite sculptures. The temple also houses shrines of Lord Mahavishnu, Ganapathi, Muruga, Darma Sastha, and Brahmmarakshas, Serpent Gods, and Mother Bhagavati Amman. Devotees visiting Guruvayoor never miss a chance to travel to the Mammiyoor Temple, who believes that their spiritual journey is incomplete without paying a visit to this temple, immediately after visiting the Guruvayur Temple.
Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple is another popular attraction of Guruvayoor. The temple is situated on the bank of holy river Pamba and attracts a huge number of tourists from across India. Lord Krishna is worshiped here in the form of Parthasarathy (another name for Krishna as a charioteer of Arjun in Mahabharat). One can witness many 18th century murals inside the temple. Aranmula Temple is also famous for the annual Snake Boat Race held in the Pamba River nearby.
Palayoor Church also known as St. Thomas Church is also among the popular attractions of Guruvayoor. Established in the 52 AD by Apostolate of St. Thomas, it is among the seven churches that were established in India. The architecture of the church reflects many elements of the Hindu culture and of Persian ornamental decorations.
Punnathur Kotta Elephant Sanctuary is another famous attraction of Guruvayoor. Home to more than 60 elephants, the sanctuary is one of the largest animal sanctuaries in India. The sanctuary also trains elephants to participate in major processions and daily temple rituals. Tourists can also feed bananas to these elephants and click pictures with some of the popular elephants in the sanctuary.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Guruvayoor is between October to February. The months of April and May when the schools are closed for summer vacation and September when the schools are closed for the festival, Onam are the times when a large number of people visit Guruvayoor. Summers are quite hot here and might get difficult to tour around. Monsoons are pleasant; however, frequent rains might affect your travel plans.
How to reach Guruvayoor
By Air – The nearest airport to Guruvayoor is Nedumbassery International Airport, Kochi. It is well connected to the major cities of India and abroad like Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Calicut, Doha, Dubai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
By Train – The Guruvayoor Railway Station is well connected by Ernakulum Junction and Thrissur Railway Station. There are many trains that connect Guruvayur to several important places such as Trivandrum, Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Bangalore.
By Road - Guruvayoor is well connected with the cities through Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and some private travel services.
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