Guruvayoorappan represents Lord Vishnu who is worshipped primarily in Kerala and a temple is dedicated to this God in the town of Guruvayur in Thrissur. The reigning deity of this temple is worshiped as Lord Krishna, commonly called Guruvayur Unnikkannan. The deity inside the temple is that of four-handed Vishnu but is considered by devotees as the child form of Lord Krishna.

What are the Miracles Associated with Lord Guruvayoorappan?

Several miracles or legends are associated with Lord Guruvayoorappan that enhance the legendary status of this temple:

Nenmini Unni

Once a priest at the Guruvayur temple told his son Unni to offer a Nivedyam to the Lord when he had to leave the temple on an urgent engagement. Unni offered a Nivedyam of cooked rice as instructed by his father. He genuinely believed that the idol would eat the offering but when it remained as it is, he started weeping. When the Lord could not bear it anymore, he made the offering disappear. When his father returned to see the plate empty, he thought the boy had eaten the Nivedyam himself and was about to hit him when a celestial voice said, “I am guilty. Unni is innocent”.

Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshitar

The well-known Upanyasa Chakravarti and scholar Dikshitar was healed of his skin disease when he implored to Lord Guruvayoorappan. His condition was so advanced that the guard did not let him take a bath in the temple tank. Dikshitar left the village and returned to the temple, years later to the astonishment of all. The miracle is believed to be a result of his perfect recitation of Narayaneeyam.

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar

Chembai Bhagavatar lost his voice suddenly when he was performing at a concert in Suchindram. Several medical practitioners tried to heal him without any success. Eventually, he went to Guruvayur and cried out to the Lord. Miraculously, he got his voice back immediately and lived for several more years to perform in numerous concerts.

Manjula’s garland

Another legend is associated with a banyan tree located close to the temple on the East Nada. Once upon a time, a young girl Manjula would garland the tree daily and offer it to the Lord. One day she was late, and the gate was closed. She felt guilty and a Poonthanam consoled her and told her that the Guruvayoorappan is all-pervasive and asked her to place the garland on the foot of the tree.

The next day, when the priest tried to take it off, one garland remained stuck to the idol. The disciples were amazed, but the Poonthanam told everyone what happened, and the garland fell instantly following which the disciples were amazed and started invoking the Lord’s name. From that time onwards, the tree came to be known as Manjulaal.

Many rituals that are still being followed in this temple are associated with these legends in some way or the other. Each day, the temple opens at three in the morning and the Lord is woken up with the harmonious notes of nadaswaram.

If you wish to visit this iconic temple, you can stay at Sterling Guruvayur where you will get to relax and enjoy the mouth-watering delicacies of Kerala.

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