Utsavam

The Guruvayur Devaswam under whose aegis the ‘Arattu’ festival is being organized has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival. Every year, the annual event attracts several thousands of devotees from across Kerala. Every year, in connection with its annual festival, literally, all roads lead to the Sree Krishna temple at Guruvayur. And it’s on the day of ‘Aarattu’ that devotees throng the temple in hordes.

Better known as Guruvayur Utsavam, the ten-day long festival begins on the day of Pushya during February-March every year. Traditionally speaking, the festival at Sree Krishna temple is held in connectionwith the restoration of the divine Chaithanya. The much popular ‘Arattu’ starts early during the concluding day of the festival and

1. begins from the eastern Gopuram of the temple in a highly ritualistic manner. 
2. It goes around the ‘Rudratheertham’ and comes to ‘Athani’. The procession halts there for a minute and silence is observed. 
3. Then it comes to Edatharikathu Bhagavaty's shrine. 
4. Thereafter the ‘Arattu’ moves to the ‘Rudratheertham’ for ‘Abhishekam’ with tender coconut water. 
5. The ‘Arattu’ comes to end with an ‘Oottapradikshinam’ in which elephants run around the temple for as many as eleven times. 

The festival at Guruvayur is held every year with its customary rituals and interesting activities such as an elephant race, Pallivetta and Arattu. The festival begins with an elephant race.

A custom of sowing seeds called ‘Mulayidal’ is also observed in which a number of pots, made of silver are filled with clay and are kept at ‘vathilmatam’. The ‘tantri’ sows various seeds and finally the pots are kept at ‘Mulayara’.The flag hoisting which is considered to be an important episode of the festival ritual is performed during night. This apart, the festival is always accompanied by a stream of interesting rituals and other traditional practices such as processions, illumination, fire-works etc. The presence of numerous caparisoned elephants adds to the splendor of the festival.

The elephant race which is one of the key highlights of the festival has always remained a crowd puller and the same has come to be identified as an interesting event for both the devotees and tourists.

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