416 weddings in seven hours: Guruvayur temple sets new record

Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple witnessed a record 416 weddings as couples tied the knot in just over seven hours on the first Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam. The weddings were held from 4.10 am to 12.45 pm, except during brief periods when the temple was closed for the Usha Pooja and Pantheeradi Pooja.

The previous record was 334 weddings, held on September 8, 2024. A total of 442 weddings, including spot bookings, had been scheduled for the day.

The wedding ceremonies began at the first mandapam at the eastern entrance of the temple after Devaswom chairman A V Gopinath lit the ceremonial lamp. Thalassery native Arnav Mohan Kumar tied the thali to Vidya Anand Raj of Pazhayangadi, marking the beginning of the day's weddings. Ceremonies subsequently began at the other five mandapams.

The wedding ceremonies continued throughout the morning, with the temple opening for the day after the Ushapooja. The temple was closed for the Ushapooja from 5.47 am to 6.12 am and also during the Pantheeradi Pooja.

Devaswom administrative committee members C Manoj, Manoj B Nair and M U Shinija, deputy administrators Pramod Kalarikkal and M Radha, PRO Vimal G Nath, assistant manager A V Prashanth, health supervisor M N Rajeev and security supervisor Subrahmanyan were among the officials and employees present at the eastern entrance.

More than 100 civil police personnel were deployed in and around the temple and the temple town as part of the security arrangements. The team was led by Guruvayur ACP Surendran Mangatt, Temple CI Jayapradeep and SI Krishnakumar.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel led by Fire Officer Sajith Lal were also stationed near the temple's inner ring road to respond to any emergency.