Guruvayur temple makes history with 334 marriages on a single day

Thrissur: In a historic event, the Guruvayur Temple hosted approximately 334 weddings on Sunday, setting a new record for the number of marriages conducted in a single day. The ceremonies took place from 4 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. 

The event began earlier than usual, with weddings starting at 4 a.m. instead of the typical 5 a.m schedule. This adjustment was made to accommodate the high volume of ceremonies, with 354 slots initially booked. To manage the large crowd, six mandaps (wedding pavilions) were erected, up from the usual four. 

The wedding parties, which included the bride and groom, relatives, and photographers, were initially guided to the southern part of the temple where tokens were issued. Each couple was allotted five minutes for their rituals, with all six mandaps operating simultaneously. Following the ceremonies, newlyweds had a minute to offer prayers at the main entrance.

In the first hour alone, 49 weddings were conducted, and by 8 a.m., approximately 185 marriages had been completed. No weddings took place during Pantheeradi pooja from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and Naivedhyam from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. By 11 a.m., the overall tally reached 320.

The smooth execution of this large-scale event was ensured through active planning and coordination by the Guruvayur Devaswom, local police, and other officials. Devaswom Chairman Dr. V.K. Vijayan, Administrator K.P. Vinayan, and Guruvayur ACP Sinoj were present throughout the event to supervise operations. Additionally, 100 policemen, 50 security personnel from the Devaswom, and various staff members worked in unison. The Guruvayur Municipal Corporation also played an active role in the arrangements.

Special facilities for marriage registration were also made there. Comparatively, the temple saw a lesser crowd of devotees than usual on the day till afternoon.