Guruvayur [Thrissur,Kerala]

Guruvayur is the most revered and sacred pilgrimage centre of Hindus in
Kerala. On any given day, the place witnesses thousands of visitors from
India and abroad. The main temple in the town is dedicated to Lord Krishna known as 'Guruvayurappan'.
History :According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than
5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In the
14th century Tamil literature 'Kokasandesam', references about a place
called Kuruvayur is made. As early as 16th century (50 years after the
Narayaneeyam was composed) many references are seen about Kuruvayur. In ancient Dravidic, Kuruvai means sea, hence the village on the coast may be called Kuruvayur.But according to Prof. K V Krishna Iyer (eminent
historian), the Brahmins had begun to come and settle at Kodungalloor during the period of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( 321-297 BC). Trikkunavay in the Guruvayur documents is the same as Thrikkanamathilakam or Mathilakam mentioned in the Dutch and British records. And this place was in between Guruvayur and Kodungalloor. Guruvayur was Trikkunavay's subordinate shrine since they were destroyed by the Dutch in 1755. That way Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. The story of Pandyan King building a shrine here may be a reference to the Azhavars , but they are all silent in their writing about Guruvayur.
How to reach :
Air : Cochin international airport (Nedumbassery) is 80 kms from Guruvayur and the Calicut airport is 100 kms away.
Rail : Guruvayur has got a railway station towards the east of the temple which is connected to the Madras-Mangalore main line at Thrissur.
Road : From Thrissur it is just 35km.
Climate : It has tropical and humid climate. It experiences heavy monsoon
rains from June to August therefore it is advisable not to visit Guruvayur
during the monsoon season.Best time to visit : March to September