Sacred location
(tirtha) in the Thrussoor district of Kerala, India's southernmost state,
located just inland from the Arabian Sea.
Guruvayur is well known for a temple dedicated to the deity
Vishnu, who is worshipped as Krishna, and whose primary picture depicts Krishna
as a young child barely beyond baby hood.
The picture at Guruvayur was originally in Krishna's fabled
kingdom in Dwaraka, on the Arabian Sea in the northern Indian state of Gujarat,
according to the temple's charter story.
Guru, the planet Jupiter, and Vayu, the deity of wind,
preserved the picture from destruction when Dwaraka was ravaged by floods.
The image was transported to Kerala by these two deities,
and the town was called Guruvayur in their honor.
The fabled charter of Guruvayur also mentions the site's
ability to treat diseases like rheumatism and leprosy.
This therapeutic capacity has been more popular in recent
times, not only among those suffering from rheumatism, skin illnesses, and
other ailments, but also among childless women desiring children and pregnant
women seeking a smooth birth and a happy kid.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
