The Supreme Court on Wednesday (December 11) issued a notice in a plea challenging the decision of the Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple administration to cancel the ‘Udayasthamana Pooja’ on Vrishchikam Ekadasi, citing public convenience. The Kerala High Court had earlier upheld this decision in its judgment dated December 7, 2024.
The Court raised concerns about whether such a pooja could be stopped solely on the grounds of public inconvenience. Justice JK Maheshwari remarked, “Pooja has been stopped on the pretext of causing inconvenience to the public. Pooja is for the deity, to increase the deity’s divinity. It cannot be dictated by public convenience. The management must find a way to address the situation. We need to examine whether this reasoning is justified.”
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Rajesh Bindal issued notices to the respondents, including the Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee, the Thantri, and the State of Kerala, with a response due in four weeks.
In the interim, the Court directed that the existing schedule of daily poojas must not be altered. “The chart of daily poojas available on the website shall remain unchanged,” the Court stated.
Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan and Advocate-on-Record A. Karthik appeared for the petitioners, who argued that the pooja should have been conducted from 6 AM on Vrishchikam Ekadasi. However, as the Kerala High Court had upheld the management’s decision, no pooja was performed. Justice Maheshwari noted that no immediate relief could be granted since the time had already passed. Nonetheless, he observed that the Court was “prima facie satisfied” with the petitioners’ case.
Background
The dispute arose from the temple administration’s decision, supported by the Thantri, to forego the Udayasthamana Pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi, citing difficulties in crowd management and the need to provide more devotees with time for darshan.
The petitioners, members of the temple’s hereditary priestly family, contended that this violated longstanding customs and rituals. They argued that the Udayasthamana Pooja, streamlined by Adi Sankaracharya, has been performed for centuries and is essential for preserving the spiritual sanctity of the deity.
Conversely, the temple administration and the Thantri maintained that the Udayasthamana Pooja is a form of offering (Vazhipadu), not an indispensable ritual, and has been adjusted in the past for practical reasons. The administration stated that the decision was made after consulting the Thantri and ensuring no adverse impact on the temple’s traditions or ceremonies.
The Kerala High Court, in its judgment, noted that the matter involved disputed questions of fact regarding whether the Udayasthamana Pooja is an integral part of temple traditions (Acharams) or merely an offering (Vazhipadu). The Court held that such issues should be resolved in a competent civil court, not under writ jurisdiction.
Case Details:
• Case No.: SLP(C) No. 29687/2024
• Case Title: PC Hary v. Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee
