Guruvayur

It is located at a distance of from the state capital Trivandrum towards the north-west, from Kochi towards the north, from Calicut towards south. Unlike most of Thrissur district, which was historically part of Cochin state, Guruvayur formed part of the erstwhile Kozhikode headquartered Malabar district.

• Name — Guruvayur • Settlement Type — Municipality • Nickname — Dvaraka of the South • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — India • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Kerala • Subdivision Type2 — District • Subdivision Name2 — Thrissur • Governing Body — Guruvayur Municipality • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Total Km2 — 29.66 • Elevation M — 24.86 • Population Total — 67,006 • Population As Of — 2011 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Demographics Type1 — Languages • Demographics1 Title1 — Official • Demographics1 Info1 — Malayalam • Timezone1 — IST • Utc Offset1 — +5:30 • Postal Code Type — PIN • Postal Code — 680101 • Area Code Type — Telephone code • Area Code — +91487xxxxxxx • Registration Plate — KL-46 • Blank1 Name Sec2 — Climate • Blank1 Info Sec2 — Am/Aw (Köppen) • Blank2 Name Sec2 — Avg. summer temperature • Blank2 Info Sec2 — 35 °C • Blank3 Name Sec2 — Avg. winter temperature • Blank3 Info Sec2 — 20 °C • Illustration — AKG Gate in Guruvayur • Illustration — Government School • Illustration — Government Guest House (Currently demolished to make space for new structure) • Illustration — Guruvayur Library • Illustration — Guruvayur Railway Station

According to Hindu legend, the deity Krishna is said to have asked a deity and a sage to take the idol from his temple in Dvaraka before it was destroyed by a flood, and establish it in Kerala. Accordingly, the idol of Krishna is believed to have been brought by the wind deity Vayu and Sage Brihaspati and was placed in Guruvayur. The name Guruvayur is a portmanteau of their names: Guru referring to the title of Brihaspati, Vayu referring to the deity. Ur is a Malayalam suffix that means city or settlement.

In 2010, the Municipal limits were expanded by merging nearby Pookode and Thaikkad panchayats. Thus, the total area of Municipality is 29.66 square kilometers comprising 43 wards with 67,006 population and population density of 2,259 per square kilometre.

Guruvayur Township was formed on 26 January 1962 with four electoral wards with an area of 6.49 km2. Later, the wards were increased to 10 and in 1994 to 20 when the township was upgraded to Municipality status with an area of. In 2010, the electoral wards were increased to 43. Guruvayur is a Grade-1 Municipality. Guruvayur assembly constituency is part of Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.

Ekadashi, the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight, is very auspicious to the Hindus. Of the 24 Ekadashis in a year, the Vrishchika Ekadashi (Sukla paksha) has got special significance in Guruvayur temple. A memorial honour for Gajarajan Keshavan is conducted in Guruvayur. The Karanavar or head of the elephant family places a wreath at the statue of Keshavan in front of Sreevalsam guest house and all the other elephants stand around and pay obeisance. On Ekadashi day, the Udayasthamana Pooja (dawn to dusk pooja) is conducted by the Devaswom itself. After the morning seeveli, on Ekadashi there is a grand elephant procession to the Parthasarathi temple since it is regarded as Geethopadesam Day also. On Ekadashi after night pooja, the famous Ekadashi Vilakku with elephant procession takes place and provides a fitting finale to the festival.

Chembai Sangeetholsavam is an annual Carnatic music festival held in Guruvayur by the Guruvayur Devaswom as a kind of homage to Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, one of the titans of Carnatic Classical Music. Chembai had conducted the festival in the temple town on his own for about 60 years. He used to invite all the great Carnatic Musicians to perform in the temple town and in course of time, the scale of the festival rivalled the Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru, which is recognised as one of the most important festivals of homage paid to Saint Thyagaraja. The Guruvayur Devaswom decided to take charge after his death in 1974, and renamed it as Chembai Sangeetholsavam in his memory. About 2000-2500 musicians participate in this festival every year, and it is held for about 12–15 days culminating on the Guruvayur Ekadashi day, when all the musicians sing 5 favourite songs of Chembai and also the Pancharatna Kritis of Thyagaraja.

The Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple of Krishna. It is often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikuntham, meaning the holy abode of Vishnu on earth. The idol installed here represents a form of the deity Vishnu bearing four arms carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki, and the lotus. Adorned with a tulasi garland, the idol represents Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki at the time of his incarnation of Krishna. The presiding deity in the sanctum sanctorum is Vishnu. It faces east and is 4 feet tall. There are sub-shrines for Ganesha, Ayyappan, and Bhagavati inside the complex, and also two shrines for Ganesha and serpent deities under the temple outside the complex. • Illustration — Sree pardhasaradhi temple guruvayur

• Punnathur Kotta Elephant sanctuary • Mammiyoor Temple • Guruvayur Sree Parthasarathy Temple • Krishnanattam

The main rail transport system in Guruvayur is operated by the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Guruvayur Railway Station lies in the Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. It is the last station in this section. There are two passenger trains operating from Guruvayur Railway Station to Ernakulam Junction and another two passenger trains to Thrissur railway station every day. An overnight express train to Chennai Egmore via Ernakulam Junction, Kollam Junction, Thiruvananthapuram, Nagercoil Junction, Madurai, Trichy is also running from Guruvayur Railway Station every day. Thrissur railway station is the major rail head near to Guruvayur from where you can get all South Indian and North Indian trains.

Cochin International Airport, the nearest airport from the town, is located from Guruvayur. All international, domestic and chartered flights are available here. Calicut International Airport at Karipur is about away.

• Sree Krishna College, Guruvayur • Little Flower College • Sree Krishna Higher Secondary School • Guruvayoor Dewasom English Medium School • Aryabhatta College, Guruvayoor