Guruvayur: The revered Sri Krishna Janmashtami (Ashtami Rohini) festival will be celebrated with grandeur at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Sunday, September 14, with large-scale arrangements made to manage the expected heavy rush of devotees, announced Guruvayur Devaswom Chairman V.K. Vijayan.

Mass weddings and feasts to mark the day

Celebrations will begin early, with more than 200 weddings scheduled from 4 a.m. onwards. To accommodate this, five marriage halls will be readied for couples and their families, especially for those travelling from far-off places.

As part of the temple’s tradition, the Janmashtami Sadhya (feast) will be served to approximately 40,000 devotees. Facilities are in place to feed over 2,000 people at a time at the Sree Guruvayurappan Hall (South Nada) and Annalakshmi Hall (West Nada).

Special offerings and budget allocation

A range of special offerings are being prepared for the festival. These include:

Unniyappam worth ₹7.25 lakh

Paal Payasam (kheer) worth ₹8 lakh

Each unniyappam coupon is priced at ₹35 and includes two unniyappams. Devotees can book up to 20 coupons in advance, while only 10 coupons will be available for last-minute bookings (one day prior).

In total, the Devaswom has allocated ₹38.47 lakh for this year’s Janmashtami celebrations.

Darshan guidelines and special arrangements

  • No VIP or special darshan will be allowed between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  • Entry to the temple will be via Poonthanam Hall from the East Nada
  • After the morning rituals, the devotee queue will proceed from the kodimaram (sacred flagstaff) to Nalambalam (inner sanctum)
  • Special darshan for senior citizens will be available between 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Local residents can continue darshan at their allotted times.

Cultural highlights and award presentation

Melam (percussion ensemble) will be performed by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar during the morning Kazhcha Shiveli (procession). In the evening, the vilakku erunalippu and Kazhcha Shiveli will feature a Panchavadyam led by Vaikom Chandran.

At 5 p.m., the Sree Guruvayurappan Kshetra Kala Puraskaram will be awarded to renowned artist Kalamandalam Peringode Chandran by Minister V.N. Vasavan at the Melpathur Auditorium. Following the ceremony, a 1.5-hour Panchavadyam led by the awardee will be performed.

Details of the extensive preparations were provided by Devaswom Board members C. Manoj, K.P. Viswanathan and Administrator O.B. Arun Kumar.