Temples of Kerala

There are some common aspects regarding temples in Kerala which makes visits to temples there a unique, blissful and exhilarating experience.

1) There are no touts or middlemen in any of the temples offering to take you straight to the sanctum sanctorum for a consideration depending on the size of the crowd. Everyone has to take his/her turn in the queue. There is of course a separate entry point (official) for VIPs, but even they are only allowed to join the queue at a particular point. The practice of taking them straight inside is not allowed in any of the temples.

2)All darshans are free and there is no system of special darshan for a fee.(even in major temples like Guruvayoor)

3)Deeparadhanas are performed only at the times fixed by the temple unlike in Tamilnadu where the priest shows Deeparadhana at frequent intervals depending on his perception of the amount that will be placed on his plate by the visitor.

4)Temples are maintained spick and span. The temple Premises as well as the Pooja equipments are cleaned meticulously. Old ladies are specially appointed only for the purpose of cleaning.

5)All temples have a strict dress code. Men have to necessarily wear Veshti(Mundu). Shirts and Pants are not allowed. Similarly, ladies are allowed to wear only sarees or half sarees.

6)Priests keep prasadams like Chandan, flower etc in a plantain leaf and drop it into the hands of the devotees without touching them.

7) People do not talk in loud voices inside the temples and strict decorum is maintained.

8) Flowers are not sold outside the temples. Flowers which grow inside the temples are arranged by temple staff. We can pay them as per our wish and they directly hand over the flowers to the priest.

Another aspect we noticed was that temples open early in the morning like 4 or 5 Am and except major temples like Guruvayoor close between 10 and 11AM.Similarly, temples open by 5PM and close around 8PM .No special dispensation or extended timings for anybody.

All these enhance the devotional aspects of the temples and ‘Sannidhyam’ is felt and experienced by the devotee. Perhaps it is because of this intense devotion that Gods are so pleased and the State generally experience  copious rains and Kerala is called ‘God’s own country’.