Guruvayur, Kerala – A renowned pilgrimage known for the famous Guruvayur Temple

Guruvayur is a renowned pilgrimage, known for the famous Guruvayur temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The place is known also known as the Dwarka of the South. This historic temple is shrouded in mystery. According to belief, the temple is the creation of Guru, the preceptor of the Gods, and Vayu, God of the winds. The place is named after the temple.

Places to see in Guruvayur:  There are many sight seeing spots in Guruvayur which include;

Guruvayur Temple

While at Guruvayur (also Guruvayoor), the first place to get to is of course, the Guruvayur temple. Situated in the middle of a large courtyard, the main shrine is surrounded by arcades, souvenir shops, an open theater, a vast pond and several other buildings. A few elephants are always kept inside the courtyard. Entry into the temple is limited to Hindus, while everyone is permitted in the courtyard, arcades and so on. The main entrance to the shrine is the eastern NADA. There is also a 7 metre high Deepasthambam (pillar of lamps), whose thirteen circular receptacles provide a truly gorgeous spectacle when lit. The square Sreekovil is the sacred sanctum sanctorum of the temple, housing the main deity.Within the temple there are also the images of Ganapathy, Lord Ayyappa and Edathedathu Kavil Bhagavathy. Known for its healing powers, people make an astonishing range of offerings here to the Lord. One of the most popular offerings is the Thulabharam, where devotees are weighed against bananas, sugar, jaggery and coconuts equivalent to their weight.

Elephant Park (Anakotta)

Anakotta (aka anathavalam), an elephant park is one of the tourist sensation. Elephants belonging to Guruvayoor temple are kept in a ten acre plot near Mammiyoor. Walking alongside of fifty to eighty elephants is an experience, and is possible by travelling just 4 kms from Guruvayoor town.

Palayoor Church

Christianity in Kerala dates back to the early period immediately after the days of Jesus. St. Thomas, one of his disciples, brought Christianity to India. PalayoorChurch, 2 kms from Guruvayoor town, stands as an emblem to the pioneering work of the saint. Initially built by St. Thomas, the Church is an interesting place to gain insights into the development of one of the major religions in Kerala.

Chettuva Backwater

Chettuva is more than a brilliant mix of canals, coconuts and islets. Broadened backwater stretches into the receiving hands of MotherOcean, about a kilometre past Chettuva Bridge. With rough waves, the harbour is wild and beautiful. Tourists are only starting to discover Chettuva. The credit for putting Chettuva on tourism map goes to Rajah Group, a well settled local business. Apart from different types of boats, they also operate a couple of house boats. They also have set up an up market Ayurvedic resort in one of the islands. Half an hour car or auto rickshaw ride takes you to Chettuva. About 8 kms from Guruvayoor, Chettuva is along the Chavakkad – Cochin coastal highway.

Blangad Beach

Blangad beach is only a few km away from Chettuva backwaters and harbour. Although not a great swimming spot, the beach is good choice for evening strolls as well as watching sun sets. Best time to be here is around 5 PM, to see fishermen in action as they reach back from sea. Blangad is near Chavakkad and is about 7 km from Guruvayoor.

Chakkavad Beach

Only five Kms from Guruvayur, Chavakkad Beach trip is preferred by those tourists who choose to spend some private and memorable moments. ChavakkadBeach is filled with natural beauty. It is the place where the sea confluences with a river. This meeting of the sea with the river is known as Azhimokam in Kerela. The beaches at Chavakkad and Nattika are simply wonderful. Being the example of pristine nature and the beach is not crowded. One can simply spend hours after hours talking to the near and dear ones in the calm of Nature, oblivious of everything else.

Nearby attractions around Guruvayur: From Guruvayur you can make a visit to the Athirapally waterfalls in Thissur district, that is located at a distance of 90 km from Guruvayur. Athirapally is flooded with water in the monsoon and even in summer it has more amount of water making it one of the best waterfall. Athirapally is about 80ft high and you can enjoy its beauty either by walking down to the falls or on the stream above the falls.

Things to do at Guruvayur: At Guruvayur, explore the temple town together with some souvenir shopping. The backwater rides at Chettuva are also worth enjoying. You may also want to watch a bit of dance performances held at the open theatre near the temple (Melpathoor Auditorium) during most evenings.

Best time to visit Guruvayur: The best season to visit Guruvayur is the winter season. The best months to visit are from December to February.

How to go ?

By Air

Kochi international airport (Nedumbassery) is 80 kms from Guruvayoor and the Calicut airport is 100 kms away.

By Rail

Guruvayur has got a railway station towards the east of the temple which is connected to the Madras-Mangalore main line at Thrissur.

By Road

The National highway is passing through Kunnamkulam which is just 8 kms away from Guruvayur. The private bus stand is towards the east of the temple, near Manjulal (the banyan tree). It is half an hour drive by car from Thrissur and busses ply every 5 minutes from Thrissur to Guruvayur.

Where to stay ?

Guruvayur has a number of government and private hotels.

Hotel Nandanam (KSTDC) : +91- 0487 -255 6266
Hotel Mangalya (KSTDC) : +91-0487-2554061
Hotel Elite: +91- 0487 -2556215, 2556216, 2556217, 2556218, 2555217  Website: www.eliteguruvayur.in
Hotel Poornima Tourist Home : +91-0487-2556690 / 2556691  Website: www.poornimaguruvayoor.com

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.