Back from kerala...

Just back from a trip to kerala…what a great time we had. I got to see three great temples of lord Vishnu. The Sri Vallabha temple at Tiruvalla, The Guruvayur temple and the Dhanvantari temple at coimbatore (which is tamil nadu actually).

We started our trip with a visit to the Sri Dhanvantari temple at Coimbatore. Located in the heart of the city amidst a beautiful and scenic ayurvedic hospital , this temple is supposed to be the only one in the world dedicated to lord Dhanvantari. Lord Dhanwantari is the Upasanamoorthy (Presiding Deity) of Vaidyas of Ayurveda and this temple gives a spiritual background to the Ayurvedic Tradition of Treatment in the Arya Vaidya Chikitsalayam located in the campus.

The Sri Vallabha temple at Tiruvalla enshrines a beautiful Idol of Lord Vishnu. Legend has it that this temple was not built by human hand but by spirits overnight. Whoever did it has done a great job. The name Tiruvalla originates from the presiding deity Vallabha.

Situated in Trichur district, The Guruvayur temple has a cute little Sri Krishna with a mischievous glint in his eyes. The Guruvayur temple has hordes of devotees flocking for a mere glimpse of the lord.

Scavenged from the internet:
GURUVAYUR’ -Dwaraka of south - is one of the most famous Sree Krishna temples in India. The divine idol installed here represents the world–enchanting form of Sree Krishna endowed with the four lustrous arms carrying the conch, the discus, the mace and the lotus. Adorned with the divine `Thulasi’ garland and pearls necklaces, the idol represents the majestic form of Maha Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki at the time of 'Krishnavathara'.

Thousands of devotees from all over the world visit this temple daily for darsan (worship). It is believed that the Lord revels here in the same majestic form as he would at 'Vaikunda' - his celestial abode. Thus Guruvayur is known as `Bhooloka Vaikunda'.

After the departure of Lord Sree Krishna to 'Vaikunda', Dwaraka was submerged in the sea but the image of 'Narayana' at Dwaraka was saved by Udhava the foremost disciple of Sree Krishna. Accordingly, Brihaspathi (preceptor of Gods) accompanied by his disciple, Vayu (the God of winds), arrived at Dwaraka. Sree Krishna had already departed to Vaikunda and Varuna,(the Sea-God), was in occupation of Dwaraka. The image of Narayana itself was being tossed in the sea by the surging waves . At the suggestion of Guru and Vayu, Varuna withdrew. The Wind God carried the image on his head and both began to search for a sacred place for its installation.

They wandered through lands in North and South and finally as they entered Kerala they met Parasurama, who had created Kerala. Parasurama led the way for Guru and Vayu and they all came near a beautiful lake full of lotuses. On one side of the lake were Siva and Parvathi to welcome them. They advised to install the image at this place and they themselves shifted to the opposite bank of the lake known as Mammiyoor temple.(It is belived that those devotees who come for Sree Krishna Temple must visit the Siva temple at Mammiyur). Since the installation was done by GURU and VAYU the place was named as GURVAYUPURA and later on as GURUVAYUR. The deity of Guruvayur is thus called Guruvayurappan, the Lord (APPAN) of Guruvayur.


One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to my dad’s birthplace where we had a great time meeting up with my cousins, uncles and aunts. I got to see the house where he was born, his school and stuff like that. It goes without saying that our trip was a fruitful one. But in dad’s eyes I could see something more than enjoyment. A feeling of joy , a sense of belonging and a certain serenity which could only stem from a deeper satisfaction.