Thread by @Indic_Vibhu

🌺।।The Story of the Origin of the Guruvayoorappan (a form of Vishnu) Temple Murti and how the temple came into existence।।🌺

The many centuries old Guruvayoor temple is located in the town of Guruvayoor, Thrissur, Kerala, India and is one of the most important temples of India.

While non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the temple, Guruvayoorappan has strong believers from many religions

The word “Guruvayoorappan”, means “Lord of Guruvayoor”. “Guru”referring to “Brihaspati”,Guru of the Devas,"Vayu",the God of Wind & "Appan",meaning ‘father’ in Malayam

Since Guru and Vayu installed Krishna’s deity, the name Guruvayoorappan was given to the deity.

Guruvayoorappan, is a form of Vishnu worshipped mainly in Kerela.He is the presiding deity of Guruvayoor temple, who is being worshiped as Shri Krishna in his child form(Balagopalan),

popularly known as Guruvayur Unnikkannan (Guruvayur baby Krishna). Even though the deity is that of chatur bahu (four handed) Vishnu, the concept (Sankalpam) of the people is that the deity is the infant form of Sri Krishna.

🌺।।The Story of the Origin of the Guruvayoorappan Murti।।🌺

King Sutapa and his wife Prishni prayed to Brahma for a child. Brahma, with the consent of Vishnu, gave the king a murti of Krishna given to him by Vishnu himself.

It is said that by the grace of this murti, Brahma was able to fulfill his task of creation.

When Vishnu appeared before the King and the queen in answer to their prayers, they prayed to him for a son like him.

As they repeated it thrice, Sri Vishnu told them that they would have three janmas (births) and that he would be born to them in each of their three incarnations.

In due course Prabhu was born to them. He was born to them the first time as Prisnigarbha, who taught people the importance of brahmacharya.

The second time, he was born to Kashyapa and Aditi and took form as the avatara of Vamana.

In their third incarnation, they were Vasudeva and Devaki, parents of Krishna. The legend states that Krishna got the murti from his father and worshiped it at his capital, Dwaraka.

The holy idol or murti is almost 4 feet tall and made of a stone called “Patala Anjanam”or black bismuth and is in the standing pose with four arms, carrying the Panchajanya (shankh or conch), the Sudarshana Chakra (chakra or disc), the Koumodaki (gada or mace) and padma (lotus).

It is believed that the deity of Guruvayoorappan represents the poorna roop (full manifestation) of four-armed Vishnu revealed by baby Krishna to his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, immediately after his advent in Kansa’s jail.

This idol was, therefore, worshipped by the parents of Krishna and later was worshipped by Krishna, an Avatar of Vishnu Himself.

🌺।।The Story of how the Guruvayoorappan Temple came into existence।।🌺

Before the conclusion of his incarnation as Krishna, he told his devotee and minister Uddhava that his image would come floating in the sea which would soon engulf Dwaraka.

Uddhava was to request Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods, to install the image at a suitable place. When this came to pass, Brihaspati and Vayu, the God of wind, set out in search of a sacred place to house the murti.

They met Parashurama (an earlier avatar of Vishnu) at Kerala, who was bringing the same murti to Dwaraka. Parashurama led them to a beautiful lake full of lotus flowers.

Mahadev Shiva was doing penance there and he told Guru and Vayu to install the two murti together at a spot near the lake and that the site should be known as “Guruvayoopura”. God Shiva and Goddess Parvati left for Mammiyur, on the opposite bank of the lake.

The present tank, “Rudratirtha”, is only a miniature of the original lake. When devotees go round the Krishna temple, from a certain spot, they face Mammiyur and pray to Shiva. Vishwakarma, the architect of the Gods, built the Krishna temple at the request of Guru and Vayu.

This is the account in the Mahabharatha, told by the sage Dattatreya to King Janamejaya, son of Parikshit.

An astrologer told a Pandya King that he was destined to die from a cobra bite on a particular day. He was advised to go and pray before Guruvayurappan.

The king spent years in meditation and prayer at the feet of the deity. Suddenly the King realized that the time of his death had passed.

He came back to his palace and asked the astrologer why the prediction was wrong.

The wise man showed him the mark on his left foot where the cobra had bitten him. Since the king was wholly absorbed in Prabhu Bhakti, Who alone can dispense with fate, he did not feel the sting.

In gratitude, the King built the Guruvayoorappan Temple and set apart funds for the daily routine of the temple. Most of the current temple building dates to the 16th and 17th centuries, although rich devotees funded extensions and additions later.

The deepastamba (column of lights) was erected in 1836 by a devotee from Thiruvanathapuram. The temple has gopurams in the east and the west. The eastern gopuram has an inscription which refers to the town as “Gurupavanapura”. The western gopura was built in 1747.

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