Guruvayur, August 23
The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple witnessed a record 416 weddings on Sunday, with couples tying the knot within just over seven hours on the first Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam.
The ceremonies were conducted between 4.10 a.m. and 12.45 p.m., barring brief intervals when the temple remained closed for Usha Pooja and Pantheeradi Pooja. The previous record of 334 weddings was set on September 8, 2024.
Temple authorities had scheduled 442 weddings for the day, including spot bookings. The ceremonies began at the first mandapam near the temple’s eastern entrance after Guruvayur Devaswom chairman A.V. Gopinath lit the ceremonial lamp.
The first wedding saw Arnav Mohan Kumar of Thalassery tie the thali to Vidya Anand Raj of Pazhayangadi. Ceremonies subsequently commenced at the remaining five mandapams and continued throughout the morning.
The temple was closed for Usha Pooja from 5.47 a.m. to 6.12 a.m. Weddings resumed immediately after the shrine reopened. Ceremonies were also briefly suspended during Pantheeradi Pooja.
Elaborate arrangements were made to regulate the large gathering of couples, relatives and devotees. Devaswom administrative committee members C. Manoj, Manoj B. Nair and M.U. Shinija supervised the proceedings along with deputy administrators Pramod Kalarikkal and M. Radha.
Public relations officer Vimal G. Nath, assistant manager A.V. Prashanth, health supervisor M.N. Rajeev and security supervisor Subrahmanyan were among the officials stationed at the eastern entrance to coordinate the ceremonies and crowd movement.
More than 100 civil police personnel were deployed in and around the temple and across Guruvayur town as part of the security arrangements. The deployment was headed by Guruvayur Assistant Commissioner of Police Surendran Mangatt, Temple Circle Inspector Jayapradeep and Sub-Inspector Krishnakumar.
