A record 416 marriages were solemnised at Guruvayur Temple on a single day recently.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
About Guruvayur Temple<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Guruvayur Temple, also known as the <\/span>Dwarka of the South,<\/b> is a Hindu temple located in the small town of Guruvayur, in the Thrissur District of <\/span>Kerala<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
It is dedicated to <\/span>Guruvayurappan<\/b>, a beloved <\/span>form of Lord Vishnu<\/b> worshipped as Baby Krishna.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Guruvayur Temple <\/b>History<\/b><\/h2>\n
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It is ascertained that the <\/span>main presiding deity <\/b>is <\/span>5,000 years old.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
In fact, the <\/span>word \u2018\u2019Kuruvayur\u2019\u2019 <\/b>has been<\/span> mentioned in the Tamil literature<\/b> called \u2018\u2019<\/span>Kokasandesam\u2019\u2019 <\/b>in the <\/span>14<\/b>th<\/b> century CE.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
References to Kuruvayur have also been made in the 16th century C.E.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
However, the <\/span>earliest recorded history<\/b> of the Guruvayur temple can be traced back to the <\/span>17<\/b>th<\/b> century C.E<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
The<\/span> present structure,<\/b> which devotees throng today, was r<\/span>ebuilt in the year 1638 C.E.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
In <\/span>1716 AD,<\/b> the <\/span>Dutch plundered and set fire<\/b> to the temple. It was<\/span> rebuilt in 1747 AD.<\/b><\/li>\n
In 1766, Hyder Ali <\/b>of Mysore <\/span>captured<\/b> Kozhikkode (Calicut) and then Guruvayur. He <\/span>demanded 10,000 fanams in ransom to spare the temple<\/b>. The<\/span> ransom was paid, <\/b>but due to insecurity, pilgrims receded.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
Later, in <\/span>1789 AD, Tippu <\/b>destroyed the smaller shrines and <\/span>set fire to the temple,<\/b> but it was<\/span> saved due to timely rain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
Tippu lost to the Travancore and the English in 1792.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
The idol, which had been hidden underground in anticipation of Tippu’s takeover, was reinstalled in 1792.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
In terms of devotees every day<\/b>, it is the <\/span>fourth biggest shrine in India.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Guruvayur Temple <\/b>Features<\/b><\/h2>\n
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It is renowned for its traditional <\/span>Kerala style of temple architecture,<\/b> characterized by its g<\/span>abled roof, wooden carvings<\/b>, and <\/span>intricate sculptures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n
Structures like the<\/span> Nalambalam (temple structure surrounding the sanctum sanctorum)<\/b>, Balikkal (sacrificial stone), and Deepastambam (pillar of lights) are situated on the temple premises.<\/span><\/li>\n
The <\/span>wall of the sanctum<\/b> sanctorum <\/b>is decked with <\/span>ancient 17th-century murals.<\/b><\/li>\n
Another famous sight here is the <\/span>Dwajasthamba<\/b>.<\/span> It is a flagstaff,<\/b> around 70 feet tall, fully <\/span>covered with gold.<\/b><\/li>\n
The <\/span>Thulabharam <\/b>is one of the most <\/span>popular offerings <\/b>at Guruvayur Temple. In this ritual, <\/span>devotees are weighed against jaggery, coconuts<\/b>, sugar, or bananas on a giant set of scales. This quantity is then<\/span> given to the Lord as an offering.<\/b><\/li>\n
The temple is also<\/span> noted for being home to a large population of captive male Asian elephants.<\/b><\/li>\n
The <\/span>Punnathur Kotta elephant sanctuary<\/b>, where<\/span> 56 elephants live, is very close to the temple.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n