Huge devotee turnout at Guruvayur for Ekadashi; temple open for 53 hrs
Monday’s rituals began with the morning Kazhcha Seeveli, followed by the ceremonial procession to the Parthasarathy Temple.
Monday’s rituals began with the morning Kazhcha Seeveli, followed by the ceremonial procession to the Parthasarathy Temple.
Monday’s rituals began with the morning Kazhcha Seeveli, followed by the ceremonial procession to the Parthasarathy Temple.
Guruvayur: The Guruvayur Sreekrishna Temple witnessed an overwhelming influx of devotees on Monday for the annual Ekadashi festival, one of the temple’s most significant observances in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. Devotees began arriving from the early hours, and thousands completed darshan while observing the Ekadashi fast. The total footfall is expected to touch one lakh, said Devaswom Board chairman Dr V K Vijayan, adding that all arrangements are functioning smoothly.
Many pilgrims travelled long distances and remained awake through the night to offer prayers to Lord Guruvayurappan on the spiritually significant day, which is believed to commemorate Lord Krishna’s delivery of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna during the Mahabharata war.
The temple opened at 3 am on Sunday and will remain open continuously for 53 hours, closing only at 8 am on Tuesday. As per a Supreme Court directive, devotees are permitted darshan for one hour after every set of five pujas, including the Udayasthamana puja.
Monday’s rituals began with the morning Kazhcha Seeveli, followed by the ceremonial procession to the Parthasarathy Temple. Prasadam has been arranged for 44,000 devotees.
A series of cultural and devotional events accompany the Ekadashi observance, including Mahaprasadam distribution, Dashami Vilakku, Pancharatna Keerthana recital, the concluding session of the Chembai Music Festival, and a cultural conference.