Did you know the idol in Guruvayur Temple is believed to be the one worshipped by Lord Krishna himself?

Kerala's Guruvayur Temple is full of stories and mysteries that still amaze devotees. It is not just devotion that draws devotees to the temple, but also these surprising folklores. One among the fascinating beliefs is that the deity in the temple, the Chaturbahu form of Lord Vishnu, was worshipped by Lord Krishna himself. Yes, you heard it right!


As per the stories, the deity belonged to Lord Vishnu and was later given to Brahma. Around that time, the childless couple Sutapa and Prishni performed intense penance seeking Vishnu’s blessings. Lord Brahma, who appeared before them, gifted the same deity to the couple. However, they continued their penance, and pleased by their devotion, Vishnu himself appeared before them. The couple asked for the greatest blessing they could ever wish for — they wanted Lord Vishnu himself to be born as their son. The Lord granted their wish, and in their next birth as Vasudeva and Devaki, Vishnu was born to them as Krishna.



Eventually, the deity also came with Krishna to Dwaraka. As Krishna grew up and later ruled Dwaraka, the deity remained with him. However, after Krishna departed from the earth, Dwaraka was swallowed by the ocean. During the destruction, the sacred deity became covered in sandalwood paste and drifted into the Arabian Sea. Though it appeared to human eyes as an ordinary stone floating on water, it was recognised by Brihaspati, the revered teacher of the Gods, who retrieved the deity.


Later, he called Vayu, the wind god, to find a place to install the idol. The duo brought the idol near a lake filled with lotuses and placed it there. Notably, Lord Shiva, who was resting by the lakeside, saw the idol and recognised it. Filled with joy, he performed his Ananda Thandava and left the place, making way for the deity. That sacred place is today’s Guruvayur.


Since the idol was installed by Guru and Vayu, the place came to be known as Guruvayur. It is also believed that upon recognising the idol, Lord Shiva gave his space to the deity and moved to a nearby location. The new place Shiva chose for himself is the popular Mammiyur Shiva Temple.


In short, the deity in the Guruvayur Temple has travelled from Vaikuntha to Earth through a timeless divine journey.