Mention Guruvayur, and the mind will conjure up images of temples, temples and more beautiful temples. Guruvayur has a history deeply entrenched with religion, mythology, and folklore, making its temples one of the best ways to experience it. However, Guruvayur is not just all about temples, and there are some hidden gems in Guruvayur that you might be unaware of. A lot of these gems involve places in Guruvayur that are intertwined with Nature, art, and religion.

Here’s a list of some hidden gems in Guruvayur:

  • Punnathur Kotta
  • Blangad Beach
  • St. Thomas Syro- Malabar Church
  • Devaswom Museum
  • Institute of Mural Painting

A Sanctuary like no other

A must-visit among the places in Guruvayur is the Elephant Camp or Sanctuary which is located in Punnathur Kotta at distance of 3 km from the Guruvayur Temple. This Camp is a unique establishment which is considered to be one of the largest elephant sanctuaries. The elephants at Punnathur Kotta are offerings that have been made by devotees. The camp trains, grooms, and takes care of the elephants.

An inviting sea shore

At a distance of 2 km from Chavakkad, is a pretty beach in Gurvayur called Blangad. Apart from being an ideal spot for the local fishermen, it also an excellent spot for birdwatching. This is because a large number of migratory birds come here during the winter. The beach is excellent for indulging in some photography during sunset and sunrise. With walking being one of the calmest ways to get by in this town, you can walk up to this beach from the nearby places in Guruvayur.

A meeting of religion and heritage

In Palayur, stands the St. Thomas Syro- Malabar Church, which is one of the oldest churches in India. As per tradition, the church was established in the 52 AD by St.Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The original small structure of the Church has been retained with significant improvements being made during the 17th century by Reverend Fenichi, without affecting the sanctity of the place.

A collection of creativity

The Devaswom Museum has a huge collection of musical instruments, mural paintings, temple materials, antiques, jewelleries of renowned elephants and valuable offerings made to the temple. Along with this, the remains of famous religious poets like Melapthur and Poonthanam are also on display. People familiar with folk art will notice the adornments used in Krishnanattam and Kathakali.

An artistic display of culture

A great place to hang out, among some of the lesser-known places in Guruvayur, is the Institute of Mural Painting which was established in 1989 by Shri Mammiyoor Krishnakutty, an established genius of mural paintings. Currently, this institute of Mural Paintings is administered by the Guruvayurappan Temple. The institute conducts several training programmes, exhibitions, and seminars that are related to Kerala’s heritage.

From the above list, one can observe that there are some quite interesting and unexplored places in Guruvayur that once should include in their trip.

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