Guruvayur temple sets new wedding record; 377 bookings for one day

Guruvayur: A record 377 weddings have been booked at the Guruvayur temple for August 23, the first Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam. The number is already higher than all previous records, and the Devaswom expects the figure could reach 400 with 13 days still remaining.

The previous record was set on September 8, 2024, when 334 weddings were held. More than 350 weddings had been booked for the day.

The Devaswom has already begun preparations to ensure the weddings are conducted smoothly without causing excessive congestion.

As part of the arrangements, a fifth permanent wedding mandapam (pavilion) is being constructed. A devotee from Chennai is donating the new mandapam to the temple. The structure is being built under the supervision of sculptor Sudhil Kumar of Kothachira.

The woodwork has been completed, and the mandapam will be transported to Guruvayur and assembled the upcoming day. It will be installed on the first day of Chingam and will be designated as Mandapam No. 1.

Guruvayur currently has four permanent wedding mandapams. When the number of weddings exceeds 200, the Devaswom usually arranges an additional temporary mandapam. The newly constructed mandapam, however, will be a permanent facility.

Meanwhile, the Guruvayur Devaswom has also introduced a virtual queue system on a trial basis from August 4 to manage overcrowding and reduce waiting times for devotees. The facility, initially available on Tuesdays and Thursdays with eight slots a day for up to 2,400 devotees, is expected to help manage the increased footfall during the upcoming Onam season and other peak pilgrimage periods.