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An
astrologer told a Pandya King that he was destined to die from a
cobra bite on a particular day. He was advised to go and pray before
Lord Guruvayurappan. He spent years in meditation and prayer at
the feet of the Lord. Suddenly the King realised that the time allotted
for his death had passed. He came back to his palace and asked the
astrologer as to how his prediction had gone wrong. The wiseman
showed him the mark on his left foot where the cobra had bitten
him. Since he was wholly absorbed in the Lord, Who alone can dispense
with fate, he did not feel the sting. In gratitude, the King built
the temple at Guruvayur and set apart funds for the daily routine
of the temple. Most parts of the temple, as it is today, are of
the 16th and 17th centuries. At later periods and different stages,
extensions to the temple were made by rich devotees. The deepastamba
(column of lights) was erected in 1836 by a devotee from Thiruvanathapuram.
The temple has gopurams in the east and the west. The eastern gopuram
has an inscription which refers to the town as "Gurupavanapura".
The western gopuram was built in 1747. |
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