Guruvayur Ekadashi, an important temple festival with a famous music festival, belongs to which state?

Guruvayur Ekadashi is one of the most important festivals of the Sri Krishna Temple at Guruvayur, in the Thrissur district of Kerala. It is celebrated on the Ekadashi (11th day) of the bright half of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, which falls in November-December.

Guruvayur Ekadashi is regarded as especially sacred because it is believed to be the day on which Lord Krishna taught the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, so it is also observed as Gita Day. On this day, lakhs of devotees visit the temple, observe a fast and offer prayers. The temple remains open throughout the day and night. A grand procession with elephants is held, and the temple is lit with thousands of lamps. The celebrations begin about a month before Ekadashi, with special offerings (vilakku) sponsored by devotees and organisations.

A special feature of the Ekadashi celebrations is the Chembai Sangeetholsavam, a Carnatic music festival held for about two weeks before Ekadashi, in memory of the great Carnatic singer Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar (1896-1974), a devoted worshipper of Guruvayurappan, who sang at the temple every year. Thousands of musicians, from famous artists to young students, perform at the festival as an offering to the deity. On the day of Ekadashi, hundreds of musicians sing together the Pancharatna Kritis of Tyagaraja.

The Guruvayur Temple is one of the most important Krishna temples in India and is known as the "Dwarka of the South". The deity, Guruvayurappan, is a four-armed form of Vishnu (Krishna as a child). The temple is also famous for its elephants, which are kept at the Punnathur Kotta (elephant sanctuary).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Tamil Nadu celebrates Vaikunta Ekadashi at the Srirangam temple.
• ✗Karnataka celebrates festivals such as the Udupi Paryaya.
• ✗Goa celebrates Zatras at its temples.