The
worship protocol at the temple said to have been
established by Adi Sankaracharya, the great religious
leader. The sanctum opens at 3 am and closes at
10pm. Except for a break between 1300 and 1600
when it is closed, a continuous series of pujas,
rites and processions are performed till the temple
closes at 10pm. The temple opens for the 'Nirmalyam'
darshan to the melodious strains of the 'Nadaswaram'
and the devoted chanting of 'Naryana, Naryana'.
In this most auspicious 'darshan', the Lord is
still adorned with the flowers and garlands of
the previous day. The idol is then ritually bathed
and dressed to represent Balagopala or Krishna
as a child, the most popular form invoked by the
devotees here. 'Sreeveli', religious processionThe
important 'uchcha' pooja takes place at midday.
During the 'diparadhana' the elaborately bedecked
idol glows in the warm light of the temple lamps.
The deity is well known for its healing power
and several offerings are made to the deity here.
They range from the simple 'archana' which is
an offering of flowers, to the expensive and elaborate
'udayastamana' pooja. One of the most popular
offerings is 'Thulabharam'-a ceremony in which
the devotee is weighed against bananas, sugar,
jaggery, coconuts etc., the article weighed being
gifted to the temple.
The festival in this temple is held in Feb/march
which continuous for 10 days. The festivities
start with an elephant race and performances of
Krishnattam dance drama. Festivals at Gurvayoor
Temple include Utsavam (February/March) for 10
days, Vishukkani (April), Ashtami Rohini (August/September),
Ekadasi, one of the important festivals (November/December)
is celebrated for 30 days and a part of the festival
Chembai Sangeetha Mela in honour of the famous
music artist Sri Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar
is held for 11days. |
