Guruvayur

Sacred site (tirtha) in the Thrussoor district in the southern Indian state of
Kerala, a short distance inland from the
Arabian Sea. Guruvayur is most famous
for a temple to the god Vishnu, worshiped in his form as Krishna, and the
temple’s main image is of Krishna as a
young boy just past toddler age.
According to the temple’s charter myth,
the image at Guruvayur was originally at
Krishna’s mythic kingdom in the city of
Dwaraka, on the Arabian Sea in the
northern Indian state of Gujarat. When
Dwaraka was destroyed by floods, the
image was saved from destruction by
Guru, the planet Jupiter, and Vayu, the
god of wind. These two deities brought
the image to Kerala, and in their honor
the place was named Guruvayur.
Guruvayur’s mythic charter also
describes the site’s power to heal ailments such as rheumatism and leprosy.
This healing power is a great attraction
in modern times, not only for people
with rheumatism, skin diseases, and
other afflictions, but also for childless
women seeking children and pregnant
women seeking an easy delivery and a
happy child.