Guruvayur, the abode of Lord Sree Guruvayurappan, is located 29 kms north west to the cultural capital of the 'God's own country', Kerala. This narrow coastline strip of land on the south western edge of Indian subcontinent is one of the 10 paradises in the world..... According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In the 14th century Tamil literature 'Kokasandesam', references about a place called Kuruvayur is made. As early as 16th century (50 years after the Narayaneeyam was composed) many references are seen about Kuruvayur. In ancient Dravidic, Kuruvai means sea, hence the village on the coast may be called Kuruvayur. But according to Prof. K V Krishna Iyer (eminent historian), the Brahmins had begun to come and settle at Kodungalloor during the period of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( 321-297 BC).

Trikkunavay in the Guruvayur documents is the same as Thrikkanamathilakam or Mathilakam mentioned in the Dutch and British records. And this place was in between Guruvayur and Kodungalloor. Guruvayur was Trikkunavay's subordinate shrine since they were destroyed by the Dutch in 1755. That way Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. The story of Pandyan King building a shrine here may be a reference to the Azhavars , but they are all silent in their writing about Guruvayur. It was Melpathur's Narayaneeyam through which the Temple got publicity. The concept of Unnikrishna popularised by Poonthanam , Kururamma , and Villwamangalam brought more and more devotees to Guruvayur.

29 kms west of thrissur, guruvayoor is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of Kerala. Its main attraction is the sree krishna temple. This historic temple is shrouded in mystery. According to belief, the temple is the creation of guru, thepreceptor of the goods, and vayu, the god of winds. The eastern nada is the main entrance to the shrine. In the chuttambalam(outer enclosure) is the tall 33.5 m high gold plated wajasthambam (flag post). There is also a 7 m high dipastambham (pillar of lamps), whose thirteen circular receptacles provide a truly gorgeous spectacle when lit. The square sreekovil is the sacred sanctum Sanctorum of the temple, housing the main deity. Within the temple, there are also the images of Ganapathy, Sree Ayyappa and Edathedathy Kavil Bhagavathy. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.

The temple dates back to the 16th century is dedicated to Krishna known here as Guruvayurappan or the Lord of Guruvayoor, and the idol is said to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma himself at Dwaraka. It is at this temple that Melpatur Narayan Bhattathiri composed his well-known Sanskrit devotional poem 'Narayaneeyam'. The temple is renowned for its healing powers. Several offerings are made to the deity here from the simple 'Archana' offering of flowers to the expensive and elaborate 'Udayastamana' pooja or 'Thulabharam' where a devotee is weighed against offering of bananas, sugar, jaggery or coconuts.

Another attraction is the famous elephant sanctuary (Punnathur kotta) near the temple where jumbo elephants are trained for temple purposes. The sanctuary currently has more than 60 elephants, all of whom were offered by devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan. One of the leading elephant names associated with the temple is that of Guruvayur Kesavan which was a legendary elephant. It has found a place in the temple's folklore.

Elephant Sanctuary at Punnathur kotta, GuruvayurThe temple is a major venue for Hindu marriages in Kerala. A record number of marriages take place each day at the temple—sometimes crossing 100 in a single day. Devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan think it is highly auspicious to start married life in front of the lord. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has recently started a center and guest house for pilgrims to the town. The place has several hotels, lodges, restaurants and marriage halls and is a booming upmarket centre.