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Guruvayur
| |  Guruvayur,
also known as the Dwaraka of the South, is one of the most important pilgrimage
centres in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and the idol is said
to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma himself at Dwaraka.
The
legend goes like this: The temple dedicated to Lord Krishna was destroyed when
the holy city of Dwaraka was submerged under the sea. Guru, the preceptor of the
Gods, and his disciple Vayu, God of Winds were entrusted with the job of finding
an equally holy spot for a new temple, to install the idol. At the end of a long
pursuit, they reached Kerala and met Parasurama, legendary creator of Kerala.
He led them to a beautiful lake full of lotuses, the present temple tank, Rudratirtha.
The idol was duly placed at this spot and called Guruvayurappan, or the Lord of
Guruvayur.
In the 'chuttambalam' or outer enclosure of the temple,
is the tall 33.5 m high gold-plated 'dhwajastambham' or flag-post. The 7 m high
'dipastambham' or pillar of lamps is a splendid spectacle when lit.
The entrance to the inner precincts lies just beyond this. Within are ten
finely carved pillars on two raised platforms, one on either side of the passage.
Bhattatiri, the devoted 'Bhakta' of Guruvayurappan, is believed to have sat here,
composing the famous Narayaniyam, the great Sanskrit poetical work of 1036 slokas,
singing the praise of the Lord.
The square, two-storeyed, 'srikoil' is
the sacred sanctorum of of the temple, housing the main deity. This idol of Krishna,
with four arms carrying the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus, and adorned
with a thulasi garland and pearl necklaces, is made of a particular stone called
'patala anjanam'.
Catamarans
on the palm-fringed Chavakkad beach
There are many other temples around
Guruvayur. Lord Shiva's temple at Mammiyur is only half a kilometre from here.
The Parthasaradhi Temple, close to the Sri Krishna temple, deifies Lord Krishna
as Arjuna's charioteer. Half a kilometre to the north-east of the Parthasarathi
temple is a temple of Venkatachalapati of Tirupati. Other temples are Perunthatta
Shiva temple and Tamarayur Vishnu temple.
Punnathur Kotta, 4 kms away
is an ancient fort which houses 40 temple elephants. Chavakkad, 3 kms away has
a pleasant beach and mausoleum of Haidross Kuttee, lieutenant of Haider Ali of
Mysore. Palayur, 1 km from Chavakkad is the site of an ancient church believed
to be founded by St. Thomas, the apostle. | |
| | What to
See | Bolghatty
Palace - Once a mansion of the British
Resident and now a hotel, is in palm fringed Bolghatty Island.
Mattancherry
Palace - The palace (Dutch Palace) was
built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to the Cochin Raja, Veera Kerala
Varma. The Dutch renovated it after 1663, and hence the palace has another name,
'Dutch Palace'.
The most important feature of Mattanchery Palace is
the murals in the bedchambers and other rooms, which depict scenes from the Ramayana,
Mahabharata and Puranic legends connected with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara
and Durga. These murals are some of the most beautiful and extensive, and are
one of the wonders of India.
The Shiva temple in Ettumanur ( near Kottayam)
has similar murals.
Interior of Jewish Synagogue
Jewish
Synagogue - Constructed in 1568, this is
the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. A stone slab from Kochangadi synagogue
(built in 1344, and has then disappeared), inscribed in Hebrew, can be found on
the inner surface of the wall.
The synagogue has hand-painted,
willow pattern floor tiles brought from China.
St. Francis Church - Built in 1503 by Portugese Franciscan friars,
this is India's oldest European-built church. The original structure was wood,
but was rebuilt in stone in mid-16th century. Vasco da Gama, the first European
to reach India, died in Cochin in 1524 and was buried here for 14 years before
his remains were transferred to Portugal. The tombstone still stands.
Chinese Fishing Nets -
Lined along the sea-front, these fishing nets exhibit a mechanical method of catching
fish, introduced by Chinese traders from the court of Kublai Khan. These nets
are also seen along the backwaters between Cochin and Kottayam, and between Alleppey
(Alappuzha) and Quilon (Kollam). They are mainly used at high tide.
Parishath
Thampuran Museum - Housed in what was previously
Durbar Hall, constructed in traditional Kerala style, the museum contains collections
of 19th century oil paintings, old coins, sculptures and Mughul paintings and
exhibits from the Cochin Royal family.
Kerala Tourist Development
Corporation's daily conducted boat cruises around Cochin harbour visit Willingdon
Island, Gundu Island, Mattanchery Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Fort Cochin, St. Francis
Church, Chinese fishing nets and Bolgatty Island. Tourists can also watch Kathakali
performances, as well as displays of Kalaripayattu. |
| | |
When to visit
| | 10
days festival (Feb/ March) with elephant race, processions and several rituals.
The famous music festival Chembai Sangeetha Mela is held in Nov/ Dec time. |
| | | Where
to Stay | | Kerala
Tourism Development Corporation's Mangalya Ph: 6266
Government Guest
House, Sree Valsam Guest House, Elite Tourist Home, Shri Krishna Bhavan and several
other hotels and lodges. | |
| | How
to Get There | | By
Air : Domestic carrier, Indian Airlines and Private carriers have flights
between Cochin and Metros.
By Rail: All superfast trains
stop either at Ernakulam Town Railway Station or at Ernakulam Junction.
By Road: Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses are available
from all parts of the state to Ernakulam. | |
|
Winter: October to March.