Guruvayur - Through My Lens

Selected photos from Guruvayur Temple

Melpathur Auditorium, Eastern Gate, Guruvayur Temple. Kids used to have their first public performance in this auditorium, in front of Lord SriKrishna 

Artists performing dance. Devotees used to spent night here watching dance and then woke up around 3 or 4 in the morning to stand in the queue for viewing Vakacharthu (morning pooja)

Expressions... in dance forms expressions are critical for viewer to understand and enjoy the story.

Devotees walking to and from Eastern Gate, Private bus stand and Railway station are close to eastern gate whereas Kerala RTC bus stand is close to Western Gate. From here you can reach Parthasarathi Temple and Venkatachalapati Temple as well

Audience view dance performance. I believe one need to have some understanding of a particular art form to enjoy it fully. By the way, I am also spending time on classical art for the first time. It’s good.

On stage – Live...

People watching dance performance on the stage

Devotees standing in front of Western Gate. From Here Mammiyur temple is in walking distance.

Temple pond. Now this pool is closed, one can use the pond close to Eastern gate for taking a bath.

Guruvayur is one of the most crowded temples not only in Kerala but also in India as well. You can always see a long queue for almost all things. By the way there is no special queue here

Eastern gate and flag post

There are a lot of store selling metallic items, photos, cloths, books etc around the temple. Guruvayur has one of the toughest rules for wearing dress (for both men and women) inside the temple. On top of that mobile phones, camera, are strictly prohibited inside the temple.

People standing in the queue for going inside the temple. This is a long queue where one may have to stand hours before going inside.

Another group performing classical music

Elaphants – Elaphants are very much part of the temple. More than 70 elephants are already there in Guruvayur’s stable (aka ‘Aanakotta’). Temple also has an athletic tournament for elephants – annual race

Giving some bathing lessons?

Elephants participate in festivals, Shiveli etc. During ‘shiveli’, a Priest holding Lord’s idol sitting on top of an elephant do rounds across the sanctum

Devotees walking through the sides of the temple. Even though this temple is known as SriKrishna temple, presiding deity in Sanctum sanctorum is Vishnu

Sajeev.

How to reach Guruvayur?

By Road
You can reach Guruvayoor from Thrissur, Palakkad, Mannarkkad, Perinthalmanna, Pattambi, Kochi, Calicut, Kunnankulam etc by bus. From Guruvayoor Kerala RTC stand you can get buses to Pollachi, Madurai, Bangalore etc as well.

By Rail
Guruvayur Railway Station lies in Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. Two passenger trains from Guruvayur Railway Station to Ernakulum Jn; two others to Thrissur Railway Station every day. Overnight express train to Chennai Egmore via Ernakulum Junction, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Trichy every day. Government is planning to start one more train service to this station from Southern Kerala.
Thrissur Railway Station is the nearest major station. From here you can get many trains for other major cities of India.

By Air
Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport. Calicut International Airport can also serve Guruvayur very well.

References

1. Wikipeida