Guruvayur (also written Guruvayoor) is a small town in the Trissur district of Kerala state, south India.

It is a temple town located at with a population of 21,187 (2001 census). It is 25 km to the north west of Thrissur City in Thrissur district. It is famous for the Guruvayur temple which is many centuries old and one of the most important in Kerala. The temple is famous as a site for pilgrimage and also a cultural centre as it is one of the centre-points along which Kerala literature and art-forms have been developed. There are other temples nearby. The deity is Lord Krishna. Legend has it that at the beginning of this era (yuga), Guru Brihaspati found a floating idol of Lord Krishna. He along with Lord of Air ( Vayu ) installed the idol in this temple for helping mankind get through the travails of this yuga. Hence the deity is named Guru-Vayur-Appan. The temple does not admit non Hindus.

Another attraction is the famous Elephant Sanctuary (Punnathur kotta) near the temple where elephants are trained for temple purposes. Here right now more than 60 elephants are kept. All these elephants were offered by devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa. Gajapooja (Worshipping Elephants) & Anayoottu (Feeding Elephants) are conducted here, as an offering to Lord Ganesha.

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