Celebrated
as the Dwaraka of the South,
the Guruvayoor or Sree Krishna
Temple enshrines the youthful
form of Krishna. The temple
is rich in legend, tradition
and festivals. Legend has
it that the preceptor of Gods
(Brihaspati) and the wind
God established this temple
at the behest of Lord Krishna
to provide safe haven to his
image, gifted to him by Brahma.
The divine image is believed
to heal difficult physical
ailments with much folklore
in support.
The square
sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil),
installing the main deity
image, can be viewed from
the temple entrance in the
east. The walls of the sanctum
sanctorum are inlaid with
exquisite mural paintings
and carvings. The temple has
a 33.5-m tall gold-plated
flag post and a 7 m high pillar
of lamps, which presents a
truly brilliant spectacle,
when lit.
The
Nirmalya Darisanam is celebrated
in the pre-dawn hours (3 am).
The sanctum closes at 9 pm,
and it stays open throughout
the day except for a break
between 1pm and 4 pm.
