The entrancing glory of Sri Krishna at Guruvayur became part of the lore, lyric, literature and life of generations through the lives of a handful of saintly devotees. One of them was Poonthanam Namboothiri, who wrote Jnanappana, and another was Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri. Once, Poonthanam was chanting the Vishnu Sahasranama at the Guruvayur temple. The great Sanskrit poet and scholar Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri was at the temple too. He overheard Poonthanam chant ‘Padmanabho Maraprabhu’ and corrected him saying, ‘Padmanabha is Amaraprabhu; not Maraprabhu!’ Just then a voice was heard from within the sanctum sanctorum, ‘I am Maraprabhu and Amaraprabhu. I am Sarvaprabhu!’ Melputhur was a great devotee of Guruvayurappan himself and had composed the Narayaneeyam in Sanskrit. It was after composing this work that he was cured of the arthritis that he had taken on from his guru. One day Poonthanam took his newly composed work Sri Krishna Karnamrutham to Melpathur and humbly reque...

There are so may miracles associated with the Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple in Kerala. One among them is the story of Manjulaal or the peepal tree in the temple premises. A poor, young girl Manjula would regularly string a garland for Guruvayurappan. One day she accompanied her mother somewhere far and was late to reach the temple. She rushed there only to find it closed. Seeing her in tears Poonthanam Namboothiri, the author of famous Jnanappana, gently advised her to offer the garland at the peepal tree at the far end of the eastern entrance of the temple. Manjula did so fervently praying that Sri Krishna should accept her garland. The next morning the priest found that he was unable to remove one of the previous day’s garlands from the murti of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the sanctum sanctorum of Guruvayoor temple no matter how hard he tried. He finally came out of the sanctum to seek advice. Poonthanam told him that it was Manjula’s garland and that it would come off if he tried...

Holy Scripture Narayaneeyam dedicated to Sri Guruvayurappan (Sri Krishna) was completed and offered to Sri Krishna on the Sri Narayaneeya Dinam. Narayaneeyam Day 2025 date is December 14. The day is of great importance at the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala.  Narayaneeyam was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and it is a condensation of the Srimad Bhagavad Purana in 1036 shlokas (stanzas). The unparalleled spiritual work is noted for its literary merit and bhakti (devotion) and is a classic in its own right. It is observed on the 28th day of Vrischika month as per traditional calendar followed in Kerala. Discourses and debates on Narayaneeyam take place on the day. Special functions are also held at Melpathur Illapparambu on the day. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri (1559 – 1632) was a student of Achyuta Pisharati and the last scholar from the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. His most important scholarly work, Prakriya-sarvaswam, describes an axiomatic ...

Guruvayur Ekadasi is observed in the famous Sri  Krishna Temple at Guruvayur in Kerala. It is observed in the Vrischikam month as per traditional Malayalam calendar. Guruvayur Ekadasi 2025 date is December 1. The corresponding Ekadasi in other regions in some year is known as Mokshada Ekadasi or Prabodhini Ekadasi. The Geeta Jayanti is also observed on the day in certain years. The temple does not close the doors of the Sanctum Sanctorum on Ekadasi day. The temple doors which opens on at 0300 hrs on Dashami, the day before Ekadasi, is only closed at 0900 hrs on Dwadasi Day – the day after Ekadashi. How to observe Guruvayur Ekadasi? Fast on Ekadasi tithi (11th day) and end it before Dwadasi tithi (12th day) ends. Rice, salt and grains are completely avoided on the day. Visit a Krishna Temple and do your prayers. Offer Tulsi leaves and chandan to Sri Krishna. Do regular simple puja at home. Offer banana or white color food to Krishna like (pal payasam) Chant “Om...

Several rituals and auspicious events are held in a year at the famous Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala. Here are the dates of important festivals and rituals in 2025 at the Guruvayur Temple. Guruvayur Temple Festivals 2025 January 2025 Edatharikathukavil Pilleru Thalappoli January 5 Makaravilakku  January 4 February 2025 Edatharikathukavil Devaswom Thalappoli  Maha Shivaratri - February 26 March 2025 Guruvayur Utsavam Kalasha Arambam - March 2 Guruvayur Poonthanam Dinam - March 3 Dhwaja Prathishta Dinam - March 7 Thathwa Kalasam - March 8 Sahasra Kalasam - March 9 Utsav Aarambam, Anayottam, Kodiyettam - March 10 Kumbathile Makam Shraddam - March 12 Ulsavam 8th day, Ulsavabali - March 17 Ulsavam 9th day, Pallivetta - March 18 Ulsavam 10th day, Aarattu - March 19 April 2025 Sree Rama Navami - April 6 Vishu Namaskaram, Vishu Kani - April 14 Vaishakha Arambam - April 28 Akshyathrithiya - Balarama Jayanti - April 30 May 2025 Vaisakham Masam Last Day - Ma...

Pantheeradi Nivedyam and puja is performed in majority of Sree Krishna temples in Kerala. The puja is performed when the shadow is 12 feet. Pantheeradi Nivedyam is done between 8 AM and 9 AM. Pantheeradi pooja in Guruvayoor is very famous. The puja is performed by Tantri or Othikkan. The chief priest usually takes rest during the period. The naivedyam offered for the puja and worship includes Thrimadhuram, Sharkara Payasam and Nivedya Chooru. After Pantheeradi Nivedyam And Puja, the face Guruvayoorappan is decorated in sandalwood paste.

Thiruvilwamala Ekadashi is held at the famous Thiruvilwamala Temple in Thrissur District in Kerala. Thiruvilwamala Ekadashi 2026 date is February 13. Numerous rituals are observed during the period. The annual temple festival is held during this period. It is believed that the puja on the night of Ekadasi festival here is performed by Devas and Devis. Vilwadrinatha music festival is organized during the period. The festivities begin on Ashtami Tithi. Important rituals are performed on Dashami and Ekadasi. The ritual procession conducted at night on Ekadasi day after Ekadasi Vilakku lasts till early morning hours. It is believed that Lord Vilwadrinatha had given permission to demon Kumbhanasa and companions to visit him on the day. Passing Through Punarjani Cave During Guruvayur Ekadasi - December 1, 2025 One of the main rituals in the temple is the passing through the Punarjani Cave located on the eastern part of the Temple . It is believed that passing through this ...

Illam Nira ceremony held at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala is associated with agricultural harvest. This unique ceremony extols the fact that majority of the Hindu festivals and ceremonies are a tribute to nature which sustains all animate and inanimate. This ceremony is observed specifically for a prosperous harvest season and is observed in many other temples in the region including Sri Mahadeva Temple Mammiyoor, Perumthatta Shiva Temple , Parthasarathy Temple and Chowalloor Shiva Temple . For Illam Nira, newly reaped paddy spikes are brought into the temple and on the next day special pujas are performed on the paddy spikes. ‘Illam Nira’ symbolically represents a very good harvest season in which the house is filled with rice for the next season. Five days after the Illam Nira ritual is the Niraputhari ritual. In this ritual half of the paddy spikes are used to prepare ‘Puthari Nivedyam’ – the rice offering to Lord Krishna with newly reaped ri...

One of the important offering at the world famous Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple is the performance of the art form Krishnanattam. Now many devotees are offering the Swargarohanam of Sri Krishna Krishnanattam for peaceful death. In the Swargarohanam, the performance is based on the departure of Sri Krishna from Earth. Deccan Chronicle reports Krishnanattam is a performing art that combines both piety and art. It is based on a Sanskrit work ‘Krishnageethi’ written by  Manavedan Raja, a Zamorin king of Kozhikode , 350 years ago. The work includes eight phases of the life of Lord Krishna. The devotees can select any story part to play as per their preference or the full story for nine days if they can afford it.  Devotees believe that by offering ‘Avataram’ story, a child will be born to childless couples. By offering ‘Kaliamardanam’ play, skin problems caused by snake bite and other skin diseases are also cured by the Lord. ‘Rasa Krida’ is offered for the we...

Sri   Krishna   Temple   at Guruvayur in Thrissur District, Kerala, is renowned in the Hindu world for the unique idol murti of Krishna – Krishna  is known here as Unnikrishna or Balakrishna. The darshan timings in the Guruvayur temple are as follows: The temple opens daily at 3 AM. The temple closes for a brief period from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The temple closes at night at 9:15 PM. (Timings changes on special occasions). Morning Puja   Nirmalyam - 3:00 AM to 3:30 AM  Oilabhishekam, Vakacharthu, Sankhabhishekam – 3:20 AM to 3:30 AM Malar Nivedyam, Alankaram – 3:30 AM to 4:15 AM Usha Nivedyam – 4:15 AM to 4:30 AM Ethirettu pooja followed by Usha pooja – 4:30 AM to 6:15 AM Seeveli,Palabhishekam,Navakabhishekam, Pantheeradi Nivedyam, and Pooja -7:15 AM to 9:00 AM Ucha pooja (the noon pooja) – 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Evening Puja Seeveli – 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM Deeparadhana – 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM  Athazha pooja ...

Njanappana is a popular prayer dedicated to Sri Krishna, to the Guruvayurappan form of Krishna worshipped in Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur. This particular Njanappana Lyrics in Malayalam is in pdf format. Njanappana was written by Poonthanam in the 16 th century and contains simple worldly wisdom in Malayalam. Link - Njanappana Lyrics in Malayalam in pdf Spiritual Significance Of Njanappana In Hinduism Njanappana is a devotional poem composed by the 16th-century Malayalam poet Poonthanam. It holds significant spiritual importance in Hinduism, particularly within the Bhakti tradition. Here are some of its spiritual significances: Devotion (Bhakti): Njanappana is infused with deep devotion and love for Lord Krishna. It reflects the poet's intense yearning for spiritual union with the divine. Through its verses, devotees express their surrender and devotion to the Supreme. Philosophical Depth: The poem delves into philosophical themes such as the impermanence of worldly ...

Heaven on Earth: The Universe of Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple , written by British writer and photographer Pepita Seth, narrates the history of Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple , its rituals and beliefs, its traditional style of management, its festivals and its patronage of ancient art forms in Kerala and its elephants. The book is a result of seven years’ research and is supported by brilliant photographs. Driven by passion and respect for Kerala’s culture and traditions, Pepita Seth began seriously photographing and writing about the rituals of Hindus in Kerala from the 1970s. In 1981, she was given official permission to enter Hindu temples in Kerala. The Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple is one of the most important Hindu temples in world and is frequented by millions of devotees. The temple is mentioned in the ‘Mahabharata’. The history of the idol worshipped in the temple goes back to the Dwapara Yuga when Lord Krishna lived on earth. “I feel that Guruvayur is impor...

The Supreme Court of India upheld the dress code change in the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala initiated by the temple administration. Guruvayur Devaswom Board, the temple administration, had decided to allow churidar-clad women into the temple. This decision was challenged in the Supreme Court by a devotee. The petitioner challenged the temple administration’s decision to change the dress code by stating that saris had been customarily worn for hundreds of years and that the Guruvayur Devaswom Board had no right to interfere in such matters and it was the prerogative of the Thantri (chief priest) to decide on dress code. The petitioner also stated that the sari is the only dress code which prevents exhibitionism in public. It is apprehended that the nod for the churidar is the first step towards loosening of rules and regulations at the temple. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan rejected the appeal stating that the dress code has to chan...

The ongoing Devaprasnam at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple to know about the divine will is creating more controversies. Some of the observations by the astrologers conducting the Devaprasnam are making the Hindu community a laughing-stock. The astrologers observed that the change in dress code initiated by the Guruvayur Devaswom Board to allow women wearing ‘churidar’ into the temple is not acceptable to Lord Guruvayurappan. Lord Krishna is not in favor of non-Hindus entering the temple . To allow or not to allow non-Hindu Lord Krishna devotees the Sree Krishna Temple is an ongoing debate in Kerala. The Devaprasnam also indicated that there were flaws in the constructions done in and around the temple by the Devaswom Board. O Krishna… Please Forgive Them... Update: Supreme Court of India Upholds Dress Code Change in Guruvayur Temple

The elephants in the Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur undergo a rejuvenation treatment in the month of July. The rejuvenation camp is at the Guruvayur Punathur Aana Kota, a sprawling 18-acre area. At present there are 64 elephants under the Guruvayur Temple trust and most of them were donated by devotees. The rejuvenation camp is monitored by famous Kerala elephant physicians and vetenary doctors. Special diet, Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines are part of the camp. The famous Ayurvedic medicine chavanprash is given to the elephants. Nearly one million rupees is spent for the month long rejuvenation treatment. The Guruvayur Temple elephants are strictly only used for temple rituals. They also partake in festivals and rituals in other temples. Nearly six elephants are needed for the various rituals in the temple daily. Sheeveli is an important ritual performed daily in the temple. In Sheeveli, the Lord Krishna idol is taken around the temple on the top of an ele...

Guruvayur Devaswom managing committee of the famous Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur changed the dress code and allowed women wearing churidars and pyjamas to enter the temple. Men wearing pants (trousers) and shirts are still not allowed. So are women wearing jeans and other non-Indian dresses. Before the decision, only women wearing sari or Kerala traditional ‘mundu’ and ‘veshti’ were allowed in. The change in the outdated custom is a great relief to thousands of female devotees from India and abroad. Even majority of the young women in Kerala will find it more comfortable in churidars and salwar and kamis. Earlier, women to enter the temple used to wear mundu over the ‘kamis’ and it used to look funny and it was a mockery of the outdated custom. A group of people in the temple thrived due this custom by providing mundu for rent to women. The poor women devotees were often forced to wear those unclean mundu to enter the temple. Similar is the fate of men who are fo...

Guruvayur Temple is one among the thousands of Lord Krishna temples in Kerala. But the devotees are more found of the Unnikrishnan (the child Krishna ) at the Guruvayur Temple . Everyone wants to get married here and wants to give the first meal of their child here. Even non-practicing Hindus want to offer prayers to Lord Krishna here. The net result is that the temple has become a center of controversy. The biggest controversy is whether to allow famous singer Yesudas to pray in Guruvayoor or not. Then there is the occasional hiccups created by the cleansing ceremony performed in the temple when a non-Hindu visits the temple. The recent controversy involved Union Minister Vayalar Ravi’s Son. Now there is a debate going on in Kerala whether to allow non-Hindus or not into the Guruvayur Temple . The Kerala State Government is ready to enact a law to allow non-Hindu believers entry into temples provided there is a consensus on the issue. An apex body of priests an...

The famous Guruvayur Temple in Kerala was cleaned – Punyaham spraying (purification rite) – on Saturday, May 19, 2007 , after Vayalar Ravi’s son and family entered the temple. Ravi Krishna, the union minister’s son, failed to produce the certificate needed to prove that he was a Hindu. Hindustan Times reports The minister had visited the temple with his family on Friday to perform the choroonu (ceremonial rice-feeding of the infant) of his six-month-old grandson Rajiv Krishna. After the ceremony, the minister had spent about an hour at the temple. Guruvayoor Devaswom Board chairman Thottathil Ravindran confirmed the incident. “Tantri is the final word as far as temple rituals are concerned. He instructed the temple to perform the purification rite. But personally I feel some of the old traditions will have to be changed with time,” he told the Hindustan Times. It must be noted that Vayalar Ravi is married to Mercy Ravi, a Christian. If ever there is a cleani...

A debate is going on in the state of Kerala whether music legend Yesudas should be allowed into the world famous Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur. Yesudas, a Christian by birth, has rendered hundreds of Hindu devotional songs and is living legend. In fact, in several temples in Kerala, Lord Krishna wakes up listening to his heavenly voice. The singer is warmly received in Sabarimala and the Kollur Mookambika Temple . But several temples in Kerala do not allow non-Hindus to enter the temple premises. Brief History Several years ago, Yesudas was denied permission to participate in a concert in the Guruvayur Temple with his guru and Carnatic legend Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. Rising to the defense of his able student, Chembai moved the concert venue to another place in the temple town and held an all night concert in praise of Lord Krishna. The Controversy To allow or not to allow Yesudas into the Sri Krishna Temple has been a point of debate in Kerala...

Sri Krishna Temple at Guruvayur in Thrissur District, Kerala, is renowned in the Hindu world for the unique idol of Lord Krishna. Krishna is known here as Unnikrishna or Balakrishna. It is believed that idol here was given by Lord Vishnu to Brahma who passed it to a couple without children. Since, Lord Vishnu had worshipped the idol, the Guruvayur Temple is considered as ‘Bhooloka Vaikunta’ or heaven on earth. The daily puja routine here was laid down by Adi Shankaracharya. There are numerous myths associated with Guruvayur Temple . The temple is famous for the Thulabharam ritual. For devotes, the Lord is the all pervading Guruvayoorappan. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple. Shirt, T-shirt, pyjama, chapels, and other modern dresses are not allowed inside the temple. Men should be in ‘mundu’ and should not cover their top. Women should be in sarees and children should wear ‘pavadi.’ Churidhar allowed inside after a dress code change in July 2007 . Mobil...