Uthara Guruvayurappan Temple, Nanganallur – The Temple
The temple is facing east with an entrance arch. Balipeedam
and Dwajastambam are immediately after the entrance. The construction is very
similar to Guruvayur temple of Kerala, not with wood but with concrete in
Kerala architecture. Presiding Deity is called as Guruvayurappan. He is housed
in the sanctum. The presiding deity here is very similar to the Guruvayur
deity. The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum and 4 pillar mandapam
with a gap in front of the main shrine. Outside the sanctum, brass lamps
are fixed like Kerala temples. These lamps will be lit during Ekadashi,
Pournami, Rohini and Ashtami days with special poojas.
The Namaskara mandapam have the idol of saint
Bilwamangal in the front. Sri Bhagavathi Amman is enshrined in a separate
shrine and the idol is a feast to the eyes. Goddess Bhagavathi is ‘Deepa
Swaroopan’ and represents the Trinity of Goddesses – Mahalakshmi, Saraswathi
and Durga. Devotees can offer a garland of bangles as an offering to the
Goddess. There are shrines for Dharmasastha, Prasanna Vinayaka, Venkateshwara
and Navagrahas in the temple premises.
There is a huge Peepul tree (Arasa Maram) as the Sthala Vriksham
and an idol of Sankarshana is installed beneath the Peepul tree in a separate
enclosure. The Arasa Pradakshinam with Sankarshana idol in the morning hours is
considered very sacred. Fresh milk is offered as neiveidhyam to the Lord every
morning. Sriveli, a procession in which the Lord is taken to all the eight
quarters of the temple to inspect the neiyvediyams of the Ashtadikpalakas is
performed in a small chariot every day at 8 AM and 8 PM.
