Guruvayur | As many as 443 couples tied the knot at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple here as part of the last Sunday of the Malayalam month of Chingam, considered an auspicious day for weddings, officials said

In a Facebook post, Guruvayur Devaswom said it made arrangements for 443 weddings at the temple on the day.

The weddings began at 4 am and 150 marriages were solemnised within the first two-and-a-half hours, Devaswom officials said.

Tokens were issued to each wedding party, while the number of people accompanying the bride and groom is restricted to prevent overcrowding on the temple premises.

The temple had witnessed more than 400 marriages on August 23, the first Sunday of Chingam.

Guruvayur Devaswom Chairman A V Gopinath, governing committee member M U Shinija and Administrator S Harigopal are leading the arrangements, with Devaswom employees assisting devotees and overseeing the proceedings.

Six mandapams have been arranged for the 'thalikettu' ceremony, while additional staff have been deployed at the wedding venue to assist with the rituals, officials said.

A traditional musical ensemble has also been stationed near the venue, the Devaswom said.

The eastern entrance of the temple has been made one-way to regulate devotee movement and ease congestion.

Police personnel, along with temple guards, are controlling the crowd and regulating devotees' movement, Devaswom said.

The temple authorities have also ensured that CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the shrine, as well as across the temple town, remain operational, officials added.