Destination Guruvayur

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Soul stirring spell , Emotional connection, Cherished moment, Unforgettable memory! 

Seeveli at Sri Krishna temple in Guruvayur is all of the above and more. Three caparisoned elephants circumambulating the internal court of the temple complex with devotees following them is a dramatic sight.The most majestic of the three elephants has the honor of carrying the deity. The elephants have on them three very stable well balanced young men each holding the tinseled silk parasols muttukuda,  swaying white tufts vencamaram and peacock feather fans alavattam. All of this is accompanied with an orchestra which  touched me almost instantaneously.  I cannot recall another event wherein I was under its spell so easily. The crescendo of different instruments is loud really loud but at the same time so musical that it touches your heart. I got to know later that the five piece orcestra is called panchavadyam and it includes Kombu, Edakka, Thimila, Illathalam and Maddalam
 http://travelogika.com/musical_instruments.html

Like with any other temples in india, cameras are not allowed. The photos are courtsey of manorama online.



As much as i was enjoying the sights and sounds of the ceremony, i was surprised that the elephants could remain calm midst  of the passionate sound and substantial crowd surrounding it. I also felt sorry for them. Do you think they are enjoying their everyday task. My mom 's opinion was that it is a divine task and the elephants are lucky to be destined for this kind of duty. I have mixed feeling about it considering elephants have been used in temples for generations. I guess i would like to leave it at that.

We were recommended one of the best hotels possible due to its location. Sree Gokulam Vanamalaa abuts the temple complex and the temple is less than 5 minutes walking distance. The recently renovated hotel had all the amenities of a decent place and we were not disappointed considering Guruvayur is a temple town.

This was my second visit to the temple town. As my mom puts it across, if i am meant to come back , I will revisit Guruvayoor Sri Krishna and Mammiyoor Mahadeva!


Date : March 2014
Place : Guruvayur, Kerala

Tip :  Stay at Vanamalaa and take the concierge's help to visit the temple.
First : Seeveli!
The travel connection :  Spiritual connection through sight and sound!

Location: Guruvayoor, Kerala, India

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