Guruvayur Wedding Management

Nobody returns from a temple, especially from Guruvayur, without making an offering, however small that might be. An offering is quite often misinterpreted as a bribe given to the deity for a favour. Actually, it is the renunciation of a devotee, as the real test of one’s devotion. The Lord accepts whatever is given in devotion or “Bhakthi” and rejects everything, however expensive, offered without it. Thousands throng to Guruvayur daily to make their offerings- as an expression of their gratitude and devotion for the cure of their diseases, mental peace, success, profit, progeny – the list is endless. The devotees offer today almost anything from flowers to gold. Rare offerings are displayed at the Devaswom museum while the other items are archived.

The main offerings are: Udayasthamana Pooja: This is the most popular offering, the booking for which are said to have been done for the next ten years. Udayasthamaya literally means from sunrise to sunset. Hence it implies worship from sunrise to sunset. It consists of 15 special Poojas in addition to all the routine poojas and begins after the morning Siveli. There is a special feast for the devotees. There is the Vilakku (illumination) in the evening. The Siveli in the evening takes 5 rounds instead of the usual 3. The tripuka marks the end of the udayastamana pooja.

Prasadaootu: These are arrangements for free feeding as Prasadams at the dining hall for thousands of pilgrims at 10.00 AM everyday. One can make an offering of any amount for this free feeding.

Tulabharam: A devotee is weighed against a commodity of his choice-banana, sugar, water, gold, in fact anything permitted inside the temple. If you want to be weighed against articles not permitted inside, do not worry. Arrangements are made for conducting the tulabharam outside the temple. Also, non-Hindus can perform the ritual outside.

Annaprasanam (Choroonu): This is the first rice-giving ceremony of a child conducted before the Lord Guruvayurappa . All the itemsincluding cooked rice, payasam (sweet preparation of rice and jaggery; rice, sugar & milk) plantain etc. are placed on a banana leaf and the children are fed each of these. Sayanapradakshina: Also called angapradakshina, the devotee circumambulates the temple, rolling along the pradakshina path with his eyes closed and chanting the Lord’s name.

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