Narayan Ravi - Mumbai

Pavanapuresha-Series

Pavanapuresha series part 20: Guruvayur Ekadasi.

Guruvayur Ekadasi is celebrated with a grand festival that begins 18 days in advance - the Ekadasi day falls during mid-Nov to Dec-end.

There is a festival of lights on each of these 18 days. All the lamps in the gallery of lights around the main shrine & in all the pillars are lighted every night and a grand procession of elephants is taken out.

On the last day i.e. Guruvayur Ekadasi the temple remains open from early morning until the following dawn (Dwadasi) & then closes around 9 am. The Lord comes out of the temple premises in procession on this day & gives darshan to the scores of people outside the temple.

It was on Guruvayur Ekadasi day that Adi Sankara came to Guruvayur with Narada & planned the puja routine for the temple. It was also on this day that Krishna revealed the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna & the great elephant Guruvayur Kesavan attained the Lord's abode. This is also the day when the people of Vrindavan worshipped the Govardhan mountain instead of Indra & Indra showered torrential rains & the Lord lifted the mountain on His little finger to protect His people. It is said that on Guruvayur Ekadasi day, Indra comes to Guruvayur with the divine cow Kamadhenu & worships the Lord. It is further believed that Guruvayur is rendered holy by the presence of holy rivers like Ganga,Yamuna & sacred places of pilgrimage like Kashi,Badri & Sabarimala on this day.

May Mahavishnu -  the Supreme Lord of Guruvayur bless one and all.

Hare Krishna