416 couples tie the knot in 7 hours: Kerala's Guruvayur temple sets new record

The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple conducted 416 weddings in seven hours on Sunday. The unprecedented Chingam rush made it the busiest marriage day in the temple's history.Guruvayur temple sets record with 416 weddings in just seven hours. (Representative image)The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala recorded 416 weddings in seven hours on Sunday, the highest number held at the temple on a single day, Devaswom officials said. The first Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam is considered auspicious for weddings, leading to a heavy rush.The Guruvayur Devaswom said the previous record of 334 weddings, set on September 8, 2024, was surpassed on Sunday. A total of 442 weddings, including spot bookings, had been scheduled for the day.The ceremonies began after Devaswom Board Chairman A V Gopinath lit the ceremonial lamp at the first mandapam at the temple's eastern entrance early in the morning. Weddings started at 4.10 am and continued till 12.45 pm, except for brief intervals when the temple was closed for Ushapooja and Pantheeradi Pooja. Amid traditional music, Arnav Mohan Kumar, a native of Thalassery, tied the mangalsutra around Vidya Anand Raj, a native of Pazhayangadi, marking the start of the day's ceremonies. Weddings then began at the other mandapams.Officials said six mandapams had been set up in the temple courtyard for the marriages. Tokens were issued to each wedding party, and the number of people accompanying the bride and groom was capped at 24 to prevent overcrowding. More than 60 weddings were conducted every hour across the six mandapams, they said. Gopinath said around 137 weddings were held within the first two hours. Gopinath told reporters, "For the first time in Guruvayur's history, so many weddings were held. The most important factor was the cooperation of the people of Guruvayur. Restrictions were imposed on regular devotees coming for darshan, and the public extended immense support to facilitate the weddings at the auspicious time." He added, "More than 100 personnel from the police department were deployed for crowd management. Ambulance services were stationed to assist anyone who fell ill, and doctors were kept on standby. Whatever facilities can be arranged for a wedding in Guruvayur, we have made them available." Fire and Rescue Service personnel were also stationed near the temple's inner ring road to respond to emergencies.The Devaswom also released a video on its social media handles featuring newly married couples speaking about the arrangements and facilities at the temple. With 416 weddings completed and the earlier record broken, Sunday became the busiest day for marriages in the temple's history, according to officials. - EndsWith PTI inputsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 23, 2026 19:51 IST