A record 416 marriages were recently solemnised at the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala on a single day, highlighting the temple's importance as a major centre of Hindu pilgrimage and traditional marriage ceremonies.

About Guruvayur Temple

Guruvayur Temple, also known as the “Dwarka of the South,” is a Hindu temple located in Guruvayur town of Thrissur district, Kerala.

The temple is dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a revered form of Lord Vishnu worshipped as Baby Krishna.

History of Guruvayur Temple

According to traditional belief, the presiding deity is around 5,000 years old.

The name Kuruvayur is mentioned in the 14th-century Tamil literary work Kokasandesam. References to Kuruvayur are also found in 16th-century sources.

However, the earliest recorded history of the temple dates back to the 17th century CE.

The present temple structure was rebuilt in 1638 CE.

In 1716, the Dutch plundered and set fire to the temple. The temple was subsequently rebuilt in 1747.

In 1766, Hyder Ali of Mysore captured Kozhikode and subsequently Guruvayur. He demanded a ransom of 10,000 fanams to spare the temple. The ransom was paid, but insecurity led to a decline in pilgrim visits.

In 1789, Tipu Sultan destroyed smaller shrines and attempted to set fire to the temple. However, the temple was reportedly saved by timely rainfall.

Following Tipu Sultan's defeat by the Travancore and English forces in 1792, the idol, which had been hidden underground to protect it, was reinstalled in 1792.

In terms of daily devotees, Guruvayur Temple is described as one of India's major pilgrimage shrines.

Architectural Features

Guruvayur Temple is renowned for its traditional Kerala-style temple architecture, characterised by gabled roofs, wooden carvings and intricate sculptures.

Important structures within the temple complex include the Nalambalam, which surrounds the sanctum sanctorum, the Balikkal, or sacrificial stone, and the Deepastambam, or pillar of lights.

The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are decorated with ancient 17th-century murals.

The Dwajasthamba is another prominent feature. It is a flagstaff approximately 70 feet tall and is covered with gold.

Thulabharam

Thulabharam is one of the most popular offerings at the temple. In this ritual, a devotee is weighed against an offering material such as jaggery, coconuts, sugar or bananas on a large weighing scale.

The quantity equivalent to the devotee's weight is then offered to the deity.

Elephants and Punnathur Kotta

The temple is also associated with a large population of captive male Asian elephants.

The Punnathur Kotta elephant sanctuary, located close to the temple, houses approximately 56 elephants according to the given information.

Why in News?

The Government of India has launched a nationwide Cloud and AI Skilling Initiative in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to expand access to cloud computing and artificial intelligence training among Indian youth.

About the Initiative

The initiative aims to provide foundational AI and cloud literacy to 1.5 lakh learners through AWS digital training content.

It will also provide intensive, job-ready training to 10,000 participants through the AWS re/Start programme.

AWS re/Start Programme

AWS re/Start is a structured training programme designed to develop employment-oriented skills in areas such as:

Cloud infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, programming, databases and AI fundamentals.

Implementing and Supporting Organisations

The initiative has been launched by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Cultus Education in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

It is supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

The training will be delivered entirely online through Cultus Education, which is the selected delivery partner of NSDC.

Target Group

The initiative will focus particularly on youth in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across all States and Union Territories of India.

It seeks to address challenges such as limited access to globally recognised technical training, weak connections with technology employers, and the lack of industry-relevant credentials required for cloud and AI employment opportunities.

Key Components

Foundational Learning: 1.5 lakh learners will receive basic training in cloud and AI through AWS digital learning content.

Job-Ready Training: 10,000 participants will receive intensive training through the AWS re/Start programme.

Online Delivery: Training will be delivered completely online, enabling participation from emerging and underserved talent hubs.

National Hackathon: The initiative will also organise a national hackathon, providing participants with an opportunity to present their cloud and AI projects.

Significance

The initiative seeks to expand access to high-quality technology education and employment opportunities, particularly for youth outside major technology centres.

By focusing on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, it aims to strengthen India's emerging technology talent pool and improve access to globally relevant digital skills and credentials.

Why in News?

The ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) has registered the Periyar Cow as an indigenous cattle breed, giving it national recognition.

About Periyar Cow

The Periyar Cow, locally known as ‘Periyar Kullan’ (Periyar dwarf), is the second native cattle breed from Kerala to receive national recognition.

The Vechur Cow was the first native cattle breed from Kerala to receive recognition, in 1996.

The Periyar Cow is also locally known as Kuttampuzha cattle and Andukanni.

Distribution

The breed is traditionally found in the Periyar River basin and adjoining plantation and forest landscapes of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts of Kerala.

Key Characteristics

The Periyar Cow has a distinctive ability to survive under semi-feral and low-input management systems as well as agroforestry conditions.

It extensively grazes on naturally available vegetation, demonstrating remarkable adaptation, resilience and ecological fitness.

It is a compact, medium-sized animal, weighing approximately 150–200 kg and standing about 105–110 cm tall.

Its coat may be brown, black or grey. It has horizontally placed ears, slightly curved horns, and a prominent hump in bulls.

Its small body size and ability to survive through natural grazing make it relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain.

Milk Characteristics

The milk of the Periyar Cow is valued for its nutritional characteristics and is classified as A2 beta-casein milk.

The lactation period generally ranges between 160 and 200 days.

Ecological Significance

The Periyar Cow is particularly suited to low-input farming systems, where it can utilise naturally available vegetation rather than depending heavily on external feed inputs.

Its adaptation to forest-fringe, plantation and agroforestry landscapes makes it relevant to indigenous livestock conservation and climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Why in News?

Regenerative agriculture is gradually reshaping the future of Indian farming by focusing on restoring soil health, enhancing biodiversity and improving the resilience of farms to climate-related stresses.

About Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming approach centred on the restoration of soil health and enhancement of biodiversity.

Unlike conventional approaches that primarily aim to sustain existing agricultural conditions, regenerative agriculture seeks to actively restore and improve soil ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and increase the resilience of farms against climate-related stresses.

Principles of Regenerative Agriculture

The major principles include minimising soil disturbance, maintaining soil cover, protecting living roots of perennial crops, integrating livestock, limiting the use of chemical inputs, and enhancing biodiversity.

Popular Regenerative Agricultural Practices in India

Micro-irrigation: Drip and sprinkler irrigation deliver water closer to plant roots, thereby reducing water wastage and improving water-use efficiency.

Natural Farming: It relies on on-farm biological inputs such as Beejamrut, Jeevamrut, GhanJeevamrut, Neemastra and Dashparni. It also promotes multi-cropping, mulching, cover cropping, minimal soil disturbance and livestock integration.

Soil Health Management: Practices such as green manuring, cover cropping and mulching increase soil organic matter, protect soil from erosion, conserve moisture and support nutrient cycling.

Integrated Farming Systems: Different activities such as crops, livestock, fisheries, horticulture, agroforestry and apiculture can be integrated. Such diversification can reduce the risk of crop failure and provide additional livelihood opportunities.

Agroforestry: Integrating trees with crops can provide additional income while improving soil moisture, regulating local temperatures and increasing carbon storage.