Guruvayoor Trip and Nirmalya Darshan Experience
We were travelling from Palakkad to Guruvayoor via road. We took a bus from the Palakkad bus stand, and it cost us 98 per person. It was 11 am when we reached Guruvayoor, and from there it was hardly 900 metres to our rest house.
We dropped our luggage at the cloak room near the West Nada entry. After that, we had our breakfast and headed to the elephant camp to see all the elephants. It was almost 12, and we were so exhausted because of the heat and the bus ride. We had ice cream and unniyappam at the elephant camp entrance. It was such a happy combination of ice cream and unniyappam. Try it once to know the pataka taste of jaggery bombs and ice cream together in your mouth.
We saw around 25 elephants that day and then went to the rest house. Even though there were empty rooms, we were told that the online booking check-in time was only 4 pm. So we had to just sit around and wait for the room allocation. We were allocated the room at 3, and we slept straight away because we had planned for the Nirmalya Darshanam, which requires us to be awake the entire night.
Since I was on vratham, I did not eat a full meal for dinner. I had the unniyappams and a banana so that I could get the energy needed for the night.
The Nirmalya Darshanam
Guruvayoor’s Nirmalya Darshanam is one of the most popular ways to see Lord Guruvayoorappan. The darshan starts at 3 am, and it is the first appearance of the Lord for the day.
The queue for this darshan starts at 8.30 pm the previous day, and you could be one of the first to witness the grace of Guruvayurappan. People sit in the queue till it starts moving at 1 am. From the South Nada, the queue moves to the entrance checking area, after which people are locked in the queues for the darshan. Since the 3 am darshan is very special, you will be able to see a lot of people waiting at this time.
I was all ready for the Nirmalya Darshan, and it was the first mistake I made. I was new to the concept and did not have any idea what would be part of this darshan. I bathed, got ready, and went to the temple to join the queue at 9.30 pm, but I saw there were 250 plus people already waiting. I was late to the queue. The second issue was that I was not aware that we should bathe after 12 am in order to go into the Nirmalya Darshanam.
Preparing for the Darshan
Take a set of clothes for changing after taking a dip in the temple pond. You will also need a wet bag for your wet clothes. The pool is on the right side of the sanctum, with ladies and gents separation to ensure privacy. Opposite the pond is the restroom complex.
The steps to the pond need to be handled carefully. Coated completely with moss, the steps are super slippery, and the water seemed brackish. The theertham is considered holy, so people prefer taking a dip there before getting to see Lord Guruvayoorappan.
After bathing in the pond, you will have an open space to change into dry clothes. Carry all the clothes you need and a wet bag for the wet ones. If you do not have accommodation, there are separate toilets where you can bathe as well.
Make sure you do not have any electronic items on you. Phone, smartwatch or any gadget is prohibited inside the temple. Deposit your belongings, except your purse, in the cloak room near the West Nada at a minimal charge. I left everything in the room, so I did not use the cloak room facility, and hence I am not aware of the charges.
I stayed at the Panchajanyam Rest House of Guruvayoor Devaswom, which is just opposite the South Nada entrance gate. So I ran to the room quite often until the line moved. There are restroom facilities at the temple premises, which are handy in times of need.
Men and kids are supposed to wear a dhoti and angavastram. Women can wear a salwar kameez or a saree. Jeans or shorts are not allowed. Men can wear a shirt or a t-shirt till they reach the sanctum.
Since my motto was the temple visit, I did not have much time or chance to explore places to eat.
Source of Images: Google