Trip To God's Own Country

On the night of December 25th, I embarked on my journey to Thrissur in an Ambari Utsav bus. By the next day, around 8 AM, I reached Thrissur. From there, the event organizers had arranged for a bus to take us from the bus stop to Guruvayur. It was a one-hour ride through streets lined with magnificent houses, each showcasing unique architectural styles. Our destination, Guruvayur, marked the beginning of our yatra.

I stayed near the ISKCON temple in Guruvayur. After enjoying a hearty breakfast, I visited the Kesavan Samadhi. The
burial place, of a remarkable elephant. This was no ordinary elephant but a devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan (Lord Krishna) named Kesavan. Kesavan was so devoted that he underwent initiation ceremonies just like human devotees do in various temples.

The Samadhi was a short walk from the hotel. After paying our respects, we returned to the hotel for lunch. For lunch, I ate the special delicacy of Kerala coin paratha skipping the day's Prasad at the ISKCON Guruvayur temple. Our next destination was the main highlight of the day—the Guruvayur Krishna Temple.

After waiting for three hours, we finally received the darshan of the Lord. We were also fortunate enough to witness the Seeveli—a grand procession where the Lord is carried around the temple campus on a 10-foot-tall elephant. Interestingly, Kesavan was one of the elephants that used to participate in this majestic ritual.

The atmosphere in Guruvayur was serene and filled with devotion. The people, the rituals, and the history of the place made the experience truly memorable. The temple’s architecture and the way it was maintained added to the overall spiritual ambience. The sight of Kesavan’s Samadhi was humbling, knowing the deep connection the elephant had with the deity.

In the evening, as the sun set, the temple and its surroundings seemed to come alive with lights and the sound of devotees chanting. It was a fitting end to a day filled with spiritual enrichment and cultural immersion. Each moment spent in Guruvayur left an indelible mark on my heart, making me yearn to return and relive the divine experience once again. This deity is Svayambhu meaning self manifested henceforth has no creator.

The next day we woke up early in the morning and left for Thiruvitthakodu Perumal temple which was an hour away from where we stayed so had to get up at 3:30 am. This is said to be the place where King Ambareesha attained Moksha. If you wonder who he was. He was a powerful ruler who conquered the whole world in just 1 week. He does not belong to our Yuga but belongs to the Yuga of Rama, Treta Yuga.  This has a total of 5 temples dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva. it is on the banks of the Bharathpuzha temple.

If you wonder what Yuga is, it is a broader classification just like the Anno Domini era and before Christ era but this is based on the Hindhu Puranas(mythology). Talking about different yugas there are 4 yugas. The Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga (which we are currently experiencing). Each Yuga is made of millions of years. Each of the 4 yugas joins together to form a mahayuga. 2000 of these mahayugas feel like just one day for Brahma, the creator of all living eternities.(The day is not the whole day but just when the sun is there). Let's not delve deeper into this spiritually complex stuff. 

There we learn a bit about the temple and the serene landscape of the Pampa River next to it.

From there, we went to the Thirunavaya Navamukunda temple. There, we had something like  Shavige in Karnataka as a prasad(breakfast). This temple is a Krishna temple again. It's called Navamukunda or 9 Mukunda temple as there are 8 identical idols of Lord Krishna sunken below the ground and 1 deity we see.

  

               

Then we took a break by the banks of the river next to it and moved on the next location Annakotta elephant camp. There are 60 elephants that are kept in chains here. The elephant camp takes donation of 10 Lakh rupees per elephant. Among the famous people who have donated elephants the ex cm of Tamil Nadu AMMA Jayalalitha is one of them.  In all of these 60 elephants, 3 elephants get to carry the deity of Guruvayoorappan. Those elephants are not chosen by tossing a coin/chance by chance but by putting forth a race between all the elephants. The winner gets to carry the deity. Even Kesavan the elephant devotee also won all the races he had participated in so he could carry the deity. 

Then from there, we left for Edakkalathur, the place where ISKCON South Vrindhavan resides. ISKCON South Vrindavan is not just a temple but it has everything within. A housing layout coming up, a temple, a place where you can get food, a place to play sports, good roads, a goshala, a good walking track and an enthralling spiritual experience. There we performed Kirthans and Bhajans, had dinner and left back to Guruvayur.

The next day we woke up and went past many small houseboats. We were heading to a place near Thrissur and the Arabian sea called, Orumanayur. They sang Kirthans and learnt a bit about the place here. Then we wnnt back to temple where we had breakfast at a place called Karakkad then we left to the Vanchipura beach. The walk pas the picturesque houses and cheerful churches was awesome. Then at the beach I had a bit of fun there playing catch catch with a football. 

Then we left to a temple for a quick  visit then left to the long night trip to Thiruvalla but our hotel was in Kottayam

Then the next day we woke up a bit energitically and left to the first location of the day ISKCON Thiruvalla for break. This temple is more than 200 years old. It houses a deity of baby Krishna. It is taken care of by ISKCON. It even houses a Bhagavathi temple. After having breakfast there we left to Arnamula Parthasarathy Temple.

You might have heard about the boat race that occurs in Kerala, but do you know where in kerala is it held? It is held in the Pamba river in Aranmula and also you might know th Shabarimala ayyappa swamy temple. Do you know where the gold that adorns the lord when the temple is open kept when the temple is closed for visitors? It is kept in this temple, Aranmila Parthasarathy temple in a locker near the sanctum sanctorum. The gold is carried on elephant back through the Christian colonies, this itself is a festival.

Then after Darshan at Aranmula Parthasarathy temple we left back to ISCKON Thiruvalla for lunch and left to Allapuzha. There we sang Kirthans even on the boat and we went for a 10 km speedboat ride and came back for a few games inside the bus, when the whole boat was singing kirthans I was looking out for the picturesque churches. I even went into one of those while getting back!

Then that day from alleppey we went back to ISKCON Thiruvalla for dinner and back to hotel for a good night's sleep.

The next day we woke up at 5:30 and left to Ambalapuzha. outside the temple was a huge tank filled with fish and 2 toroise and a bird, guess what bird is it. The krishna deity of Gurvayoorappan was kept year for 3 years for safety. The deity holds a whip n his right hand and a conch in his left hand. The temple offers Pal Payasam to fulfill an incomplete loan to the lord from years. Here you need to book the Prasadam 1 month in advance.

Then from there we went to the Sri Vallabha temple where the Poojaries who are originally Tulu Brahmins were living the lord and circumumbulating the temple. This is also Sriveli. This temple is built on Manmala river. This is a temple with high spiritual importance and one of the few Divya Desams in Kerala. 

Then after visiting this we wnrt to Chenganur Thiruchittat temple. This was built by the Pandava king Yudhishtira for the sin he had done by killing his own teacher in a very unfair way. By saying "Ashwatthama Athah Kunjarah" or "Ashwatham is dead, the elephant". This was based on Krishna's advice. So to clear himself of all of what he thought were his sins he committed by listening to the lord he built a temple for the lord. 

After this we went back to ISKCON Thiruvalla for dinner one last time. Then went back to hotel for a good night's sleep.

Next day I packed up all the luggage and we left to Varkala Janardhan temple. This temple is 2000 years old and was built by a Pandya king and the deity was taken from the depths of the ocean by the might Pandya Navy. Due to its spiritual significance it is called Kashi of the south.

Then we left directly to the Padmanabhaswamy temple after a quick breakfast in front of the Ayyappa Swamy temple on the foothills of the cliff this temple is present on. 

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is a testament to India's rich heritage. While renowned for its Dravidian architecture and immense wealth, many are unaware of its deeper history. Predating the Travancore Kingdom, the temple likely dates back to the 8th century AD. Its centerpiece, the idol of Lord Padmanabha, is uniquely crafted from 12,008 Shaligram stones, a feat of ancient craftsmanship. Moreover, the true extent of the temple's treasure trove, including gold, jewels, and precious stones, remained largely unknown until recent court-ordered inventories, further adding to its mystique. The discovery of a hidden treasure trove within the Padmanabhaswamy Temple has reignited conversations about India's rich heritage and the legacy of colonialism. This immense wealth, accumulated over centuries by the Travancore kings, includes gold ornaments, jewels, and precious stones. The true extent of the treasure was only revealed after a court-ordered inventory, sparking questions about its ownership and purpose. Some see it as a testament to the piety and prosperity of the temple's devotees, while others view it as a reminder of the vast wealth amassed by Indian rulers before British plunder. Regardless of perspective, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple's treasure serves as a powerful symbol of India's enduring cultural and economic significance.

Then we wnt to ISKCON Trivandrum for lunch. There we bid farewell to few of our fellow tourists. Then at night, we had another Kirthan to the lord and a big yagna for a good year. Then at around 12 we were travelling from ISKCON Trivandrum to our hotels. That day I had a good sleep. I woke up at 6:30 on Jan 1 had Ghee roast at a nearby hotel and left to Bengaluru.