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Important festivals

Ashtamirohini day is the birthday of Lord Krishna. Also known as Janmashtami is in the malayalam month Chingam (Aug-Sept). Offerings of Palpayasam, and Appam on this day are considered to be very auspicious.

Guruvayoor Ekadasi. Though all Ekadasi days are generally considered auspicious at Guruvayoor temple, the Ekadasi falling in the month of Vrichika (Nov-Dec) is considered most auspicious. According to mythology, it was on this day Lord Krishna advised the Bhagavad Geeta to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and Govinda pattabhishekam was solemnized by Devendra and Surabhi at Vrindavan. It was on one Ekadasi day in Vrichika that Adi Sankaracharya happened to pass through Guruvayoor during one of his air jaunts. Sankaracharya, who forgot to pay obeisance to Lord Guruvayoorappan earned the displeasure of the Lord suddenly, fell down to the Earth. But Sankaracharya with his mysterious powers could get a vision of the Lord at Guruvayoor. After this incident he conducted poojas there for several days. According to popular belief, it was on this Ekadasi day that Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri had darshan of the Lord. Chembai Music Festival is conducted at Guruvayoor in connection with Ekadasi. The renowned musicians of South India participate in this festival. The devotees consider it very auspicious to conduct the arangettam - the debut - on this day in front of the Lord.

The Utsavam - annual festival of the temple falls in the month of Kumbha (Feb- March). The festival commences with the world famous Elephant race. It is believed that at a time when there was a shortage of elephants for the temple festival, some elephants from the Trikkaanamathilakam (a near by place) came on their own to Guruvayoor to make themselves available for the festival. It is to commemorate this event that the elephant race is being held at the commencement of the annual festival of the temple. The privilege of holding the thidambu - idol used for processions- of the Lord during the festival goes to the elephant that comes first in the race. The pallivetta is on the ninth and the arattu is on the tenth day of the festival.

The Vishu Kani - Vishu is the malayalam new-year day. A large number of the devotees assemble at the temple to have kani - first darshan of the lord - on this day. Devotees consider this as auspicious for making their life happy for the rest of the year.

Calander of festivals for the year 2000-2001

* Aanayottam - Elephant Race

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