The famous Guruvayur Temple in Kerala has announced temporary restrictions on special darshan during the upcoming Onam festival. Special darshan will remain suspended from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm between 25 and 28 August to accommodate the massive influx of devotees expected during the festive season.
Auspicious rituals and offerings
The traditional Kazhchakkula (offering of plantain bunches) will begin on the morning of August 25, with the temple’s chief priest making the first offering at the foot of the sacred gold-plated flagstaff, after which devotees can make their offerings. On the auspicious day of Thiruvonam, the traditional Onappudava (sacred robes) offering to Lord Guruvayurappan will take place at 4:30 am. Uralan Mallissery Parameswaran Namboothiripad will present the first robe, and devotees will have the opportunity to offer robes until the completion of the Usha Pooja. Thiruvonam day will also witness the grand Kazhcha Sreeveli procession accompanied by traditional temple percussion twice during the day, followed by the Vilakkezhunallippu (lamp procession) at night.
Grand Onam feast for devotees
A grand Onasadya (traditional feast) will be served to over 10,000 devotees on Thiruvonam day. The feast will begin at 9:00 am at the Annalakshmi Hall and an adjacent temporary pavilion. The feast will feature a traditional spread including kaalan, olan, erissery, aviyal, pazham pradhaman, buttermilk, banana chips, pappadam, and pickles.
Kausthubham Rest House to open
For the convenience of pilgrims, the Guruvayur Devaswom’s newly constructed Kausthubham Rest House will open to the public tomorrow. Devaswom Chairman AV Gopinath confirmed that all necessary government clearances have been obtained for the facility, which was inaugurated on 31 July by Minister K Muraleedharan. Guest bookings will commence tomorrow, with rooms managed by Devaswom staff.
Wedding rush and parking restrictions
With over 1,100 weddings scheduled at the temple across three major dates—tomorrow, August 30, and September 14 – the Devaswom has implemented strict crowd control and parking measures. To manage the rush, wedding ceremonies will commence as early as 4:00 am. Wedding parties are instructed to arrive at least 30 minutes before their designated auspicious time (muhurtham) to collect their tokens.
To ensure smooth traffic flow, parking has been strictly prohibited on the Inner and Outer Ring Roads. Instead, the grounds of Sree Krishna High School and the Devaswom English Medium School have been opened for the parking of light and small vehicles.
