Guruvayurappan

Guruvayurappan
Supreme Almighty, The Parabrahma
Sanskrit transliteration Guruvāyūrappan
Malayalam ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പന്‍
Affiliation Krishna/Vishnu (The deity is that of a standing-four armed Lord Vishnu)
Abode Vaikuntha
Mantra Om Namo Narayanaya
Weapon Sudarshana Chakra (Disc), Panchajanya (Dextral Conch), Koumodaki (Mace), Padma (Lotus)
Consort Shri Lakshmi
Mount Garuda

Guruvayurappan (Malayalam: ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പന്‍, (transliterated guruvāyūrappan)) also often written Guruvayoorappan, is a form of Vishnu worshipped mainly in Kerala. He is the presiding deity of Guruvayoor temple, who is being worshiped as Shri Krishna in His child form, popularly known as Guruvayur Unnikkannan (Guruvayur baby Krishna). Even though the deity is that of chatur bahu (four handed) Vishnu, the concept (Sankalpam) of the people is that the deity is the infant form of Lord Krishna. The deity represents the purna rupa (full manifestation) revealed by baby Krishna to His parents immediately after His advent in Kamsa's jail. Lord Krishna immediately after His birth had revealed Himself as four-armed standing Vishnu in front of His parents Devaki and Vasudeva. So baby Krishna is worshipped on a Vishnu deity. The temple is located in the town of Guruvayur, Thrissur, Kerala, India.

The word Guruvayurappan, meaning Lord of Guruvayur, comes from the words Guru (ഗുരു) referring to Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas, Vayu (വായു), the God of Wind and Appan (അപ്പന്‍), meaning 'father' or 'Lord' in Malayalam. Since Guru and Vayu installed Krishna's deity, the name Guruvayurappan was given to the deity.[1]

It is believed that the idol of Guruvayurappan was worshipped by Vasudeva and Devaki, the parents of Krishna, and represents the full manifestation of Vishnu, and later was worshipped by Krishna, an Avatar of Vishnu Himself. The deity is made of a stone called "Patala Anjanam" or black bismuth and is in the standing pose with four arms, carrying the Panchajanya (shanku or conch), the Sudarshana Chakra (chakra or disc), the Koumodaki (gada or mace) and padma (lotus).[2] Guruvayur is also hailed as "Bhuloka Sri Vaikuntham" meaning 'Heaven on Earth', where the deity reveals Himself to His devotees in the same majestic form in which He welcomes them in Vaikuntha, His celestial abode.

Origin of the murti

The holy deity of Lord Vishnu in Guruvayoor Temple is made up of a rare stone called 'Pathalanjana Sila', thus considered extremely sacred. It is almost 4 ft tall, and it is said that the deity represents the form of Lord Vishnu in which he gave darshan to Vasudeva and Devaki during the birth of their son, Lord Krishna. This may be the reason why the child form of Lord Krishna is worshipped here. The Lord holds a conch, discus, mace and lotus on his four hands. He is in a standing pose with his darshan towards east.

There is a story about the origin of the murti in 'Narada Puranam'. King Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, grandson of Abhimanyu and great-grandson of Arjuna, conducted a fierce yajna called 'Sarpasatra' to kill the whole clan of Takshaka, the fierce snake who killed his father. Many innocent snakes died in the yaga fire, but Takshaka survived. Thus Janamejaya got affected with the curse of snakes, making him a leprosy patient. Even though he was well looked by his wife, children and palace doctors, there was no cure. At that time, sage Dattatreya appeared before him and advised him to worship Lord Vishnu at Guruvayoor. He also told the story of the idol. That is as follows:

Once in Padma Kalpa, when Lord Brahma was doing his task of creation, Lord Vishnu appeared before him. When Lord Brahma repelled him and his creations, Lord Vishnu gave one idol of himself to him. Later, in Varaha Kalpa, Lord Brahma gave this deity to a king named Sutapass and his wife Prasni, who were worshipping Lord Vishnu for a child. As a result of their long worship, Lord Vishnu appeared before them told them that he would be born as their son in four births, and in all these births, they would be blessed with the deity. In the first birth in Satya Yuga, the Lord was born as Prasnigarbha, the son of Sutapass and Prasni. In this birth, he spoke about the greatness of celibacy. Later, in Treta Yuga, when Sutapass and Prasni were reborn as Kashyapa and Aditi, the Lord was born as their son Vamana. Again later, in Treta Yuga, itself, when they were reborn as Dasharatha and Kausalya, the Lord was born as their son Rama. Finally, in Dwapara Yuga, when they were reborn as Vasudeva and Devaki, the Lord was born as their son Krishna. In all these births, they were blessed with the holy deity.

Later, Lord Krishna, himself an avatar of Lord Vishnu, took the deity to Dwarka. He installed it in a temple near his palace and daily worshipped it. At the end of his earthly life, he told his friend-cum-disciple Uddhava that Dwarka would be submerged within seven days and everything except the deity he worshipped would be destroyed. He also advised Uddhava to hand over the deity to Brihaspati, the guru of devas and Vayu, the wind god. What the Lord told came to be true. Uddhava handed over the idol to Brihaspati and Vayu, and went to Badrikashram for meditation. Brihaspati and Vayu went southwards with the deity, and they were stuck on the way when they saw a place which was much more beautiful than even heaven. They saw a beautiful lake, full of lotuses there. Also, there were many animals, birds, flowers, etc. throughout the place. Fresh air breezed all around. At the same time, they saw Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati there. Lord Shiva told Brihaspati and Vayu that this place is the most suitable place for consecrating the deity, as it was where he prayed Lord Vishnu, and he advised the 10 princes named 'Prachetas' to pray Lord Vishnu for getting the post of Prajapati. He also told that the place would be known as Guruvayoor and the deity would be known as Guruvayoorappan as the consecration was done by Brihaspati and Vayu. Later, Brihaspati and Vayu called Vishwakarma, the divine architect to make a temple. He did his task within minutes and the idol was consecrated soon. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati settled down at Mammiyoor in the opposite bank of the lake. Thus, it is said that every devotee who comes to Guruvayoor should also go to Mammiyoor Shiva Temple and then only a darshan to Guruvayoor is complete. The place is also called as 'Bhooloka Vaikuntam', as Lord Vishnu here resides completely powerful as in Vaikunta, his abode, and fulfills every wish of a true devotee.

After hearing this story, Janamejaya proceeded to Guruvayoor with his family. He conducted bhajanam there for one year. He also went to Mammiyoor Temple and prayed Lord Shiva. Thus, he was cured of the disease and he lived a very happy, healthy, long life.

Construction of the temple

The Main entrance to the temple

An astrologer told a Pandya King that he was destined to die from a cobra bite on a particular day. He was advised to go and pray before Guruvayurappan. The king spent years in meditation and prayer at the feet of the deity. Suddenly the King realized that the time of his death had passed. He came back to his palace and asked the astrologer why the prediction was wrong. The wise man showed him the mark on his left foot where the cobra had bitten him. Since the king was wholly absorbed in the Lord, Who alone can dispense with fate, he did not feel the sting. In gratitude, the King built the temple at Guruvayur and set apart funds for the daily routine of the temple. Most of the current temple building dates to the 16th and 17th centuries, although rich devotees funded extensions and additions later. The deepastamba (column of lights) was erected in 1836 by a devotee from Thiruvananthapuram. The temple has gopurams in the east and the west. The eastern gopuram has an inscription which refers to the town as "Gurupavanapura". The western gopura was built in 1747.[3]

Narayaneeyam

There are several literary works extolling the glory of the Lord of Guruvayur. The Narayaneeyam is considered the greatest of all such works, creating a Guruvayur in the hearts of everyone who reads or listens to it. The author of this great work is Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, one of the foremost Sanskrit poets and savants of Kerala. Bhattathiri's guru and mentor was Achyuta Pisharati. When Pisharati was stricken with rheumatism, Bhattathiri took the disease into himself, thus curing his guru. The disease was incurable, and Ezhuthachan instructed Bhattathiri to become a devotee of Guruvayoorappan. Bhattathiri did so, sitting before the Lord and composing and reciting 1034 slokas in the praise of the Lord. The slokas are divided into 100 dasakas (sets of 10 verses).[4] Each dasaka ends with a prayer to the Lord of Guruvayur for relief of his disease. Legend has it that the Lord signified his approval and acceptance of the poem by providing inspiration to the poet whenever he was at a loss for words. While dealing with the Lord's incarnation as Narasimha, the poet could not visualise his form. There upon the Lord himself took form as Narasimha, springing out of a pillar. The Lord himself enacted Krishna dancing on the Kaliya, and the Kaliya mardhanam slokas in the Narayaneeyam are set to the same tempo as Sri Krishna's dance.

According to Bhagavatham, Sri Krishna, as a child, broke a pot with a grinding stone whereas Bhattathiri wrote that Sri Krishna had broken it with a churning stick. While he was grieving that he got it wrong, the Lord himself said that he had broken the pot both with the churning stick and the grinding stone.

Narayaneeyam contains the essence of Bhagavata. Its aim is the cure of ills of the present incarnation or life cycle, its ultimate aim is moksha or liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. In the last dasaka, "Agre pashyami" (HIM I SEE BEFORE ME), the poet has given an inspired and inspiring vision of Srikrishna as Venugopal given to him by the Lord. This was on Ekadesi day.

Legends

Poonthanam Nambudiri

Poonthanam Namboodiri was a humble devotee of Lord Guruvayurappan. He wrote a Malayalam lyric "Jnanappana" in praise of the Lord. He was not erudite like Bhattathiri but his lyrics were noted for their simplicity and devotional fervour. He requested Bhattathiri to revise it, but Bhattatiri lacked humility and looked down upon Poonthanam's knowledge of Sanskrit. Poonthanam went home and wept bitterly before the Lord. That night a boy appeared at Bhattathiri's house as he was preparing to recite Narayaneeyam. Seating the boy at his side, he started to recite. The boy pointed out an error in the very first verse. The poet admitted it and proceeded with the next verse, and the boy pointed out two mistakes. In the third verse, he pointed out three mistakes and so on. After the tenth verse, Bhattatiri realised that the boy was the Lord himself, and understood that Poonthanam's bhakti was more pleasing to the Lord than his own superior knowledge of Vibhakti (Sanskrit grammar) and learning. He rushed to Poonthanam and sought his forgiveness. When he read the Jnanappana, he found that it was flawless.

Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was a devotee of Guruvayoorappan. He composed the 1034 verse Narayaneeyam, a summary of the Bhagavata Purana in 1586 AD. Melpathur Bhattithiri was a student of Achyuta Pisharody, who became ill. As a student of the guru, Melpathur Bhattithiri took the disease upon himself as part of Guru Dakshina. The disease was incurable, and he was instructed by Ezhuthachan to become a devotee of Guruvayoorappan. Being a Sanskrit scholar, Melpathur Bhattithiri composed a verse every day for the Lord, and after the final verse was complete, he was cured of his ailments.

Vilwamangalam Swamiyar and Kurur Amma and Manavedan Samoothiri of Kozhikkode are present in legends which tells us they got a chance to see the lord in real. There is a holy spot, Nritham, on the eastern side of the northern entrance to the temple, where the Swamiyar meditated and danced in ectasy. It is believed that the Lord often gave him darshan in person after the last ritual of the day. He could see him whenever and in whatever form he wished. The Lord was a child to the childless Kururamma. She played with him and would even scold him when he was naughty. He helped her in all her household chores as a dutiful son would, for his mother. Once, when Vilwamangalam offered food to the Lord, He appeared in the form of a child and urinated in the food, for he found it funny whenever Vilwamanglalm was angry. Furiously, he pushed little Krishna with the back of his hand, which was a very offensive thing to do. Little Krishna accused him of insulting him and tells him that if ever he needed Him again, he would have to come to Anantankaad. The Lord disappeared and Vilwamangalam sadly set out to find Anantankaad for he did not know where it was and missed his lord very much. At last, when he reached the right spot, he found the lord in his infinite form, lying in the Ananthasayana position. He lay on his snake bed holding a Shivalingam fixed to the ground with his right hand while in the left, he held a flower. Vilwamangalam saw the lord peacefully resting on the gigantic snake anantha as a lotus sporuted from the Lord's navel from which emerged Brahma. He saw the Holy Trinity and was overwhelmed with shock and happiness that the lord had revealed himself to him again. This is where the Padmanabha Swami Temple is located and is the main myth based on the temple.

King Manaveda told Vilwamangalam about his ambition to view Krishna

Krishnanattam

[5] The next day the Swamiyar told him that Guruvayurappan has given his consent and Manavedan can see Guruvayurappan playing in the early hours of the morning at the platform of the Elanji tree.He could only see and not touch Him.When as per this agreement, Manavedan saw Guruvayurappan in the form of little child Sri Krishna, he was so excited that he forgot himself and, rushed to embrace little Sree Krishna.Guruvayoorappan immediately disappeared saying, "Vilwamangalam did not tell me that this will happen ".However, Manavedan got one peacock feather from the head gear of Bhagavan Krishna.

The peacock feather was incorporated in the headgear for the character of Sri Krishna in the dance drama Krishnanattam based on his own text krishnageeti which is composed of 8 chapters viz, Avatharam, Kaliyamardanam, Rasakrida, Kamsavadham, Swayamvaram, Banayuddham, Vividavadham and Swargarohanam.[6] It was performed near the sanctum sanctorum of the Guruvayur Temple. On the ninth day, Avatharam was repeated as the Samoothiri felt that it was not auspicious to end the series with the demise of Lord Krishna.The blessed art form is still maintained by guruvayur devaswom and staged as an offering by devotees.

The Garland of Manjula: There is a banyan tree a few metres away from the temple on the East Nada. Manjula, a young Varasyar girl would make a garland every day and offer it to the Lord in the night. The Mel Shanti (Chief Priest) would adorn the deity with it. One day she was late and the Sri Koil was closed. Manjula stood near the banyan tree crying and Poonthanam who passed by told her "Guruvayurappan knows what's in your heart, keep the garland on the banyan tree and he will take it". The following morning, when the Mel Shanti began to remove the nirmalyam, one garland stuck to the deity and would not come off. When Poonthanam saw this, he called out to the Lord saying "That's Manjula's Garland, let it also fall". The garland fell and the devotees were awestruck and started chanting the Lord's name. From that day the banyan tree is called Manjula.

Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshitar: In modern times, this well known scholar and Upanyasa Chakravati was cured of his leprosy by praying to Lord Guruvayurappan.

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar lost his voice suddenly at the peak of a concert he was giving at Suchindram. Several doctors tried to cure him but to no avail. He went to Guruvayur and cried out to the Lord. He regained his voice and lived many more years to sing in many concerts.

Coconut with horns: A villager had planted a number of coconut saplings and had promised himself that he would offer the 'first coconut' from each of his coconut trees to "The Lord Guruvayurappan". When the trees started to yield coconuts, he collected the first coconut from all the trees in a sack and set forth to Guruvayur. On the way he was stopped by a robber and asked to part with the items in the sack. The villager told the robber that the coconuts in the sack belonged to Guruvayurappan and so he was unable to hand it over. The robber disdainfully asked the villager "Is Guruvaurappan's coconut any different? Does it have horns?". When the robber pulled the sack forcefully out of the villagers hands, the coconuts spilled out. To their astonishment each and every coconut in the sack had horns! Even today, the coconut with horns are displayed in the temple for devotees to see.

Shopkeeper and boy: Once, a poor little boy could not get even a morsel of food to appease his hunger, and stole a banana from a nearby fruit shop. Being a devotee of Lord Guruvayurappan, he dropped half the banana into the 'hundi' and he ate the other half. The shop-keeper caught hold of the boy and accused him of the theft. The boy admitted his guilt. The shop-keeper did not have the heart to punish this innocent boy, but to teach him a lesson, he ordered him to walk around the temple a certain number of times. The shop-keeper was aghast when he saw Lord Guruvayurappan follow the little boy around the temple. That night the Lord came to the shopkeeper in a dream and explained, "Since I have also had a share in the stolen banana I am bound to share the punishment, too. So, I followed the boy around the temple."

Nenmini Unni: Once a Nenmini Namboodiri, the priest at the Guruvayur temple, instructed his twelve-year-old son to offer the Nivedyam to the Lord. There was only one priest in those days and the Nenmini Namboodiri had to go out on an urgent engagement. The son, Unni, offered a Nivedyam of cooked rice to the Lord; in his simplicity, he believed that the deity would eat the food, but the deity did not move. Unni bought some salted mangoes and curd from a neighborhood vendor, thinking that the Lord would prefer this, mixed the curd with rice and offered it again. The deity again remained unmoved. Unni cajoled, requested, coaxed and in the end threatened, but the deity remained unmoved. He wept because he believed he had failed and shouted at the Lord, exclaiming that his father would beat him. The Lord could not bear it any more, and made the Nivedyam disappear. The boy left the temple satisfied. Unni did not know that the Nivedyam offered to the Lord was the Variyar's prerequisite. When Variyar returned to the temple, he saw the empty plate and became very angry with Unni, but Unni insisted that God had, in fact, eaten the offering. Unni's innocent words made Variyar furious, as he believed the boy had eaten the offering himself and was lying. His father was about to beat Unni, but just then an Asareeri (celestial voice) was heard saying, "I am guilty. Unni is innocent. I ate all the food that he had offered me. There's no need to punish him".

Rituals at the temple

There is a fascinating legend about the origin of the rituals in this temple. One Ekadesi day, Sri Adi Shankara and Narada were travelling in space above the temple of Guruvayur. Acharya did not notice the temple while passing over it. The deity pulled down acharya through the roof all of a sudden and in the next moment he was in front of the Lord. Acharya being immensely happy with the darshan of the Lord composed the Govindashtakam stotram at the very same spot. Acharya formed the principles for worship of the Lord on the request of the Lord himself. Even to this day these principles are followed very strictly without compromise.

Every day, the temple opens at 3 a.m. and the Lord is awakened from his sleep with the melodious notes of nadaswaram. The Lord is adorned with flowers of the previous day. This is known as Nirmalya Darshanam. It is believed that celestial beings come and worship the Lord after the temple is closed.

Sriveli is a ritual which is performed thrice every day. The Utsava Vigraha of the Lord (a miniature of the deity in gold) is mounted on an elephant and taken three times around within the four outer walls of the temple to the accompaniment of drums. There are beli Kallus representing the Lord's body guards, subsidiary deities and members of his entourage in the inner and outer prakara. The idea of Sriveli and the priest performing poojas at these places is that the Lord Himself stands by as offerings are made to his dependents. Guruvayur is a temple state with the Lord as its Head. Every night at the close of worship, the days account is read to the Lord even today. Another ceremony is the Thulabharam, in which the devotees are weighed against plantains/sugar/jaggery/coconuts or other articles. These are gifted to the temple.[7]

Another is Annaprasanam, or the first feeding ceremony of the child.

Festivals at the temple

Utsavam

The utsavam in Guruvayur is in the month of Kumbham (Feb-Mar) and the celebrations are spread over a period of 10 days. The festival starts with the hoisting of the temple flag on the dwajasthamba on Pooyam day and ends with the holy dip (Aarattu) on Anizham day. A special event during the utsavam is the elephant race. The Guruvayur Devaswom has about 45 elephants now, all donated by devotees. No description of the elephants in this temple is complete without mentioning Padmanabhan and Kesavan. Padmanabhan was a very tall elephant and had a majestic bearing. He would allow no other elephant to carry the Thidambu. There are many stories about his kindness, devotion and unswerving loyalty to the Lord. In appreciation of his services, a gold chain was presented to him. A strange spectacle was seen in the Guruvayur temple in the year 1931, the day Padmanabhan died: the sandal paste with which the Lord was adorned split into two pieces and fell down. The two tusks and teeth of Padmanabhan are kept in Guruvayur.

Kesavan was donated by Raja of Nilambur and came to Guruvayur in 1922. He learnt from Padmanabhan the way he should conduct himself as a servant of the Lord. He was about 11 ft tall and would raise his front leg only when the Thidambu is to be mounted. All other riders, including his mahout, had to mount from the rear, using his hind leg. He was honoured with the title Gajaraja. In 1976, on Navami, he fell ill during the Sriveli. On the Dasami night, he used the drinking water (kept for him) to bathe and to clean his body and stood looking longingly in the direction of the Deity whom he had served for a long time. The morning of Ekadasi dawned. On the day Lord Krishna gave Vishwarupa Darshan to Arjuna, Kesavan lay prostrate on the ground with his trunk stretched towards the Lord. The Lord had given moksha to the Gajaraja, just before the Srikovil opened. Guruvayur Devaswom has erected a life size statue of Kesavan in one of their rest houses and his death anniversary is observed on Ekadasi day.

Ekadasi

The Guruvayur Ekadasi falls in the month of Vrischikam (Nov-Dec), on the 11th day of the bright fortnight. Once when Lord Mahavishnu visited the abode of Yama, he heard heart rending cries of people tortured for their sins. The Lord wanted to save them from more suffering and uttered the word Ekadesi. The very mention of the word removed all their sins. Observance of Ekadasi is believed to have a purifying effect. It is believed that the sins of a lifetime are washed away if one happens to see the Ekadesi Vilakku (festival of lights). Legend says that on Guruvayur Ekadasi, Lord Indra comes with Kamadhenu and gives all material wealth and offers worship to receive Sri Krishna's blessings. On that day all the theerthas such as Kasi, Badri, Sabarigiri and Palani in addition to rivers like Ganga and Yamuna assemble in this sacred place. It is also said that it was the day on which the deity was consecrated, and also the day on which Lord Krishna gave Geethopadesam to Arjuna, who was unwell to see his relatives on inimical side. As a part of Ekadasi, a musical fest named 'Chembai Sangeetholsavam' is held, honouring Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, a great musician who was a devotee of the Lord. The fest lasts for 15 days, ending on Ekadasi night. Also, special illuminations called 'Ekadasi Vilakku' starts a month before. On each day, there will be special illuminations by many families and on the last day (Ekadasi), Devaswom itself performs Udayasthamana Pooja, the biggest offering of the Lord.

Ashtami Rohini (Sreekrishna Jayanthi/Janmashtami)

This is a special day in all Krishna temples in India. This occasion remembers the birth of Lord Krishna, falling in the month of Chingam (Aug-Sept), on the 8th day of the dark fortnight, mostly coinciding with Rohini day, thus called Ashtami Rohini. Guruvayoor Devaswom celebrates Ashtami Rohini with all its glory. There will be a Bhagavatha Sapthaham as a part of Ashtami Rohini celebrations, with the story of Krishnavatharam falling on this day. On this day, the devotees are given a birthday feast. There will be processions through the town by many organizations like Balagokulam and Guruvayoor Nair Samajam. Palpayasam and Appam are the main offerings to the Lord on this day.

Vishu

This is considered to be one among the two major festivals in Kerala, falling on the first day of the month of Medam (Apr-May). Guruvayoor Temple is constructed in a manner that on this day, the rays of the rising sun falls on the feet of the Lord. On this day, the temple opens half an hour earlier (2:30 AM) for Vishukkani darshan. Melsanthi arranges 'Kani' in the Namaskaramandapam in front of the sreekovil, as first seen by the Lord. Later, devotees go with closed eyes until they see Kani. For Kani, there will be rice, fruits and vegetables, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, konna flower, holy texts and coins. For the first devotees who completes darshan, Melsanthi gives 'Vishukkaineettam'.

Vaishakham month

Vaishakham is the second month in Saka calendar, after Chaitram. It is the period between the New Moon dates in Medam (Apr-May) and Edavam (May-Jun) months in Malayalam calendar. This is considered an auspicious time for doing good things and worship. It is also believed that one will get salvation by doing good things on these days. It is also considered an auspicious time for reading Bhagavatham. During these days, Guruvayoor Devaswom conducts 'Akhanda Bhagavatha Parayanam'. Akshaya Tritiya and Narasimha Jayanthi come during this period.

Kucheladinam

This is celebrated on the first Wednesday in the month of Dhanu (Dec-Jan). It is believed that it was on this day that Kuchela/Sudama, a classmate of Lord Krishna, went to see the Lord with 'Aval' (Beaten rice), thus getting the name. On this day, the main offering is also Aval Nivedyam. There will be a queue of devotees who come with this.

Poonthanam Janmadinam

This is celebrated on the Aswathi day in the month of Kumbham (Feb-Mar). It is the birthday of the devotional poet Poonthanam, who is best known for his work 'Jnanappana' (In this poem, Poonthanam says: 'Kumbhamasathilakunnu nammude janmanakshathramaswathinalennum' (My birthday is on the Aswathi day in the month of Kumbham), thus it is celebrated so). On this day, there will be special programmes in Guruvayoor & Poonthanam Illam, situated in Keezhattur near Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district. Jnanappana is read throughout the day.

Narayaneeyadinam

This is celebrated on the 28th day in the month of Vrischikam (Nov-Dec). It is believed to be the day on which Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, another devotional poet, completed his magnum opus 'Narayaneeyam' and got cured of paralysis, thus getting the name. Narayaneeyam is read throughout the day. It is also believed that this day coincided with Guruvayoor Ekadasi in the year Melppathur wrote Narayaneeyam (1586–87). In 2013, there was such a coincidence once again. There will be Narayaneeya Sapthaham as a part of this.

Krishnageethidinam

This is celebrated on the last day in the month of Thulam (Oct-Nov). It is believed to be the day on which Samoothiri Manavedan Raja completed his magnum opus 'Krishnageethi', thus getting the name. Samoothiri was a contemporary of Melppathur & Poonthanam, and saw both of them during his lifetime. He got the source to write Krishnageethi after getting a peacock feather, believed to be that of Lord Krishna himself. He is also the founder of the art form Krishnanattam, which is based on Krishnageethi. Kottarakkara Thamburan, inspired of this, made a new art form called Ramanattam, and with some changes in Ramanattam, a new art form came. It is called Kathakali, the cultural icon of Kerala. Krishnanattam is played on all days except Tuesday and practice period (June-Sept)

Mandalakalam

This is the 41 days, consisting of the whole month of Vrischikam (Nov-Dec) and the first 11 days of Dhanu (Dec-Jan). During this, many Sabarimala pilgrims come here as a part of their darshan. There will be special arrangements for 'Malayidal' and 'Kettunira' in front of the Lord Ayyappa shrine here. Guruvayoor Ekadasi, Narayaneeya Dinam & Kucheladinam are celebrated during this holy period.

Edatharikathukavu Vela

This is the festival of Goddess Durga, the sub-deity of the temple, held in the month of Dhanu (Dec-Jan). The Goddess here has more importance than other sub-deities, because she is believed to be the sister of Lord Krishna, who was here even before the main deity was intalled, and was shifted to the present place as a part of installing the new deity of Lord Vishnu. As a part of Vela, there will be 'Kalamezhuthum Pattum' held in front of the Goddess, from the first day of Dhanu until the Vela ends. There are two velas, one by the natives and the other by Devaswom itself. It is the only occasion in Guruvayoor on which fireworks are held. On this day, the nada closes an hour earlier, so that the Lord can also participate.

Navaratri

This is another major festival. All 9 days are considered very auspicious. On these days, the Goddess has special poojas. In the dusk of the 8th day (Durgashtami), the 'Poojaveppu' ceremony is held. The name came so that the books, musical instruments, weapons, etc. are placed for pooja at the Koothambalam. On Vijayadasami day, many children come to have 'Vidyarambham'. It is also the day of the first performance of Krishnanattam students.

The experience of devotees

The Lord of Guruvayur is no distant elusive deity, but one who is accessible to all devotees, learned and unlearned. As the Lord said to Arjuna in the Gita, "I am responsible for the welfare of those who think of me to the exclusion of all else and who remain devoted to me all the time", Guruvayurappan comes to the rescue of his Bhakthas in distress and manifests his grace in infinite ways.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org
  2. ↑ http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/minstallation.shtml
  3. ↑ http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/htemple2.shtml
  4. ↑ Narayaneeyam,translated by Swami Tapasyananda,Appendix-1,Pg 353,Sri Ramakrishna Math
  5. ↑ http://sangeethasabha.blogspot.in/2010/08/manavedans-krishnageethi-story.html
  6. ↑ .
  7. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/27/stories/2007072750030100.htm

External links

See also

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