Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil... (in the corridor of the guruvayoor temple)

Listen to this:
Kandu njan Kannane, Kayamboo varnane, Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil!!

My sister's wedding was in Guruvayoor temple, and after my marriage this was my first visit to to see Guruvayoor Appan. Around 20 of us took the train to Trissur. There was mini-bus and van which then drove us to Guru Vayoor temple.

Guruvayoor is one of the most dearest temple of Lord Krishnaand it means everything for the people of Kerala. They will give away everything to come and have a glimpse of Guruvayoor Appan. According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. It is said that. The idol of the deity is made of a rare stone known as Patala Anjanam.

Story of Guruvayoor!
According to legends Bhagwan Vishnu himself had worshipped the idol that we see now at Guruvayur, before donating it to Brahma. Prajapati Sutapa and his wife Prsni prayed to Brahma, and pleased at their devotion Brahma gave them this idol. Sutapa and his wife Prsni worshipped the idol with such devotion that Mahavishnu Himself appeared before them for granting a boon. In their over enthusiasm they asked thrice "We need a son equivalent to thou" . Mahavishnu told them that he himself would take birth as their son in three different janmas (births) and in all those three janmas they would get the vigraha given to them by Brahma. In the Dwapara Yuga, Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki. This idol was given to them by Daumya for worship. Sri Krishna established a big temple at Dwaraka and installed this idol there. At the time of swargaarohana Krishna instructed his devotee Udhava to install the idol at a sacred place with the help of Brihaspathi, the guru of the Devas and Vayu, the God of the winds. They (Guru and Vayu) took the idol and came down to a place down south and installed it. This is why the place got its name Guruvayu, where ur means place. It is also said that Bhagavan Shiva and his consort Devi Parvati were present at the auspicious moment and because there was a lack of space in the temple premises, Shiva moved a little further away, and gives his blessings from the nearby Mammiyoor Temple. Every devotee who goes to Guruvayur is supposed to go to Mammiyoor also, as per tradition.

The entire city of Guruvayoor is a temple town. The temple has 4 Nada (or entrances) based on the 4 direction - East, West, North and South. And the entire city of Guruvayoor has everything around these nadas. You can go to the temple from any of the nadas. The east nada is where the diety faces. The wedding hall was in East Nada. And My dad had booked accommodation in North, East, South Nadas. Just entering into Guruvayoor has the eyes glistened, the throat choked and the heart filled with love. Even the air seem to carry His message. Wow! Just the very memory invokes longing in the heart.

To get a darshan of the lord it is a wait beyond comprehension. The most sought darshan is in the early morning between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM. Poeple wake up and stand in the line as early as 1:00 AM. EVen then sometimes to get out it after darshan can go past 10:00 AM. That many people wait patiently!

Noone will ever refuse an invitation to come to a wedding in GUruvyoor becasue it is an opportunity to come see the lord. My mom's sister and 2 aunts (three of them) who are like over 75 yrs old had come with such longing in their heart to see the lord. Just seeing their devotion would give me bliss. One of our close relatives was on the temple board so we got a VIP pass. My sister could hve darshan befoe the wedding. On the day of the wedding the bride and groom donot have entrance into the temple. That is the rule! (My theory is that the lord is so powerful that the newly wed will get completely drawn to him and forget about marriage. Trust me on this one. When I am there I feel even if I am a flower who can adorn the Lord I will be freed. That powerful is He).

My sister, mom, my mausi, myself and my mom's elderly sister. - all went for darshan. VIP Pass just gets you to cut across the line outside the temple nada and into the temple where the queue is still thick and dense. Most south indian temples are based on the vedic temple architecture. But temples in Kerala have a sense of their own. As you entire the outermost entrance, you enter into a huge courtyard. Really huge! And u will see people sitting, lying down, kids runing around, devotional songs, sound of drums - Ah.. it is the most blissful and peaceful feeling. There is sand everywhere. The ocean is very close. I am sure thousands of years back it must have been on the shores of the indian ocean. From here is the next entrance into the temple and then inside it is the Bhugarbham - the womb where the lord rests. The temple is actually a symbolic representation of our very body.

That evening the Lord was smeared with Sandalwood. Just as you enter the main temple amidst sounds of people chanting, crying, bodies touching each other, u look to the side and u see these huge chandan (Sandalwood) being ground by pundits... this walk towards the Lord (Bhugarbham) is the most blessed one! U see the Lord through different angles and yet, you dont really see Him. Amidst tears, the overwhelming feeling of gratitude and the face of Gurudev in mind, I was walking closer and closer. I ws just singing 'Om Namo Narayanaya' the whole time. The crowd keeps gettign thicker.

And then behold the moment of brief darshan. It is indeed like the meet of two Lovers - brief yet incomplete. I look and look and I feel as though I am not seeing, nor am I feeling my heart full. It is a different kind of feeling looking at the Lord. It is like looking at Gurudev! You look and look at Him and you dont want to turn your eyes of Him. It is like I have to be dragged off the place! I just didnt want to leave - the intoxication of the Lord is infinite fold. And as u walk away from the bhugarbham, I had a feeling of such intense longing that I wanted to stand in the next line once again to go inside. I cant describe it! It is precious!

The next day was the wedding in the East Nada right in front of the Lord outside.
I will write about that too..