"Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya"
Besides the main temple there are few other shrines in and around Guruvayur which are of interest to pilgrims since these are either connected with the main deity or have been its kizhedams or subordinate shrines. It is significant that out of the offerings made during the udayastamana puja (dawn to duskworship) for Guruvayurappan a measure of rice is still sent to temples like Mammiyur, Narayanakulangara , Perunthatta, Tiruvenkatam, etc.
Mammiyoor Temple
Mammiyoor temple is a Shiva temple near Guruvayoor temple, Kerala, south India. Every devotee who goes to Guruvayoor is supposed to go to Mammiyoor also, as the ritual goes. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple premises.
History: Bhagwan Vishnu himself worshipped idol at Guruvayoor made out of Pathala Anjanam. Vishnu gave the idol to Brahma. Prajapati Sutapa and his wife Prsni did penance to Brahma, and pleased with their devotion Brahma gave them this idol. Sutapa and his wife Prsni worshipped the idol with such devotion that Mahavishnu himself appeared before them for granting boon. In their over enthusiasm they asked thrice "We need a son equivalent to you". Mahavishnu told that them he himself will be born as their son in three different janmas (birth) and in all the three janmas you will get the vigraha given to you by Brahma.
In the first janma in Satya yuga, Mahavishnu was born as Prsnigarba, as son of Sutapa and Prsni. Psrigarba instructed the world the importance of Brahmacharya to the world.In the second janma, Sutapa and his wife Prsni were born as Kashayap and Aditi and Mahavishnu was born as Vamana, their son in Treta yuga.
In Dwapara yuga, Lord Krishna' was born as son of Vasudeva and Devaki. The idol was given to them by Daumya for worship. Sri Krishna established a big temple at Dwaraka and installed this idol. At the time of swargaarohana Lord Krishna instructed his devotee Udhava to install the idol at a sacred place with the help of Brihaspathi, the guru of the Devas and Vayu, the wind God. They (Guru and Vayu) took the idol and came down to a place down south and installed it. This is why the place got its name Guruvayoor, where oor means place. It is also said that Lord Shiva and his Wife Parvathy were present at the auspicious moment and because there was a lack of space in the temple premises, Shiva moved a little further away, and gives his blessings from Mammiyoor Temple, which is a ten minute walk from the Guruvayoor Temple.
Narayanamkulangara Temple
This is also a subordinate shrine of Guruvayur and is half a kilometer to the north of Mammiyur.the prathikshta here is the Goddess narayani.She is otherwise Vishnumaya and famed as bestowing salvation on men.The annual temple festival here is conducted on the 10th of the Malayalam month of Makaram (January end).
Parthasarathi Temple
Situated a few meters to the north of the Manjulal on the east nada.Its a great temple and the beautiful idol of Parthasarathi (Sri Krishna as Arjuna’s Charioteer).The celebration of the Gita day on Vrischika Ekadasi, (Sukla Paksha) is the important festival here.This also synchronises with the great Ekadasi festival of the Guruvayur temple.
Tiruvenkatam Temple
Half a kilometer to the north-east of parthasarathi shrine is another Vishnu shrine Tiruvenkatam or Venkatachalapati of Tirupati. The general belief is that this Devi temple because only the image of Bhagavati on the south-east corner of the chuttambalam is what is worshipped now, the main deity Venkatachalapati- opposite this and facing east was the target of depredation of Tipu Sultan, it being disfigured below neck.
Perunthatta Shiva Temple
This temple, with its many stone inscriptions, and situated on the south side of Guruvayur temple about a kilometer away, has historical significance.
Tamarayur Vishnu Temple
This little shrine, known as Tamarayur Srikantapuram, lies on one kilometer north of Guruvayur. It has a beautiful four-armed idol adorned with sankha, charka, gada and padma. There s only one Srikoil, and mandapa opposite. It is a subordinate shrine of Guruvayur.
Punnathur Kotta
Punnathur Kotta is located in Kottapadi, a small place near Guruvayoor in Thrissur district of Kerala, South India. This place is famous for the elephant pound (Anakkotta in local language) where the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple are kept. Elephants are trained here for purposes related to temples. The pound currently has about 64 elephants. All of them came here as offerings by devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa. Gajapooja (Worshipping Elephants) and Anayoottu (Feeding Elephants) are observed here, as offering to Lord Ganesha.
The following ten temples are listed as Guruvayur subsidiary (Keezhedams) shrines:
- Narayanamkulangara Devi Temple
- Thamarayur Vishnu temple and Ayyappa Temple
- Anjoor Ayyappa Temple
- Vermanur Siva Temple
- Manganchera Sreekrishna Temple
- Kunnamkulam Thalakkattukara Siva Temple
- Punnallur Siva Temple
- Nenmini Balarama temple and Ayyappa Temple
- Kaveed Karthyayani Temple
- Poonthanam Sri Maha Vishnu Temple
