The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that the traditional Udayasthamana Pooja at Kerala’s famed Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple be conducted on December 1, coinciding with Guruvayur Ekadasi, without any change to the long-standing ritual practices.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi noted that the Udayasthamana Pooja—a continuous day-long series of 18 rituals, homams, and abhishekams performed from sunrise (udaya) to sunset (asthamana)—has been observed in the temple since 1972. The bench directed that the ceremony be carried out this year in the same manner and spirit as followed traditionally.
The court has asked the parties to complete their pleadings and posted the matter for further hearing in March 2026.
The dispute arose after the Guruvayur Devaswom administration decided last year not to conduct the Udayasthamana Pooja on Ekadasi, citing crowd management challenges and the desire to allow more devotees time for darshan.
The decision prompted objections from hereditary priests and devotees, who argued that Ekadasi is the temple’s most significant festival, and the discontinuation of the age-old ritual violated established religious practice.
Last year, the Supreme Court had criticised the Devaswom Board’s decision, questioning how the administration could alter a practice so integral to temple tradition. The bench also asked why the Thantri (chief priest) had agreed to such a change, especially when he had earlier acknowledged—in a 1996 article—that the temple’s rituals were codified by Adi Shankaracharya himself and must not be deviated from.
The plea, filed by P.C. Harry and other members of the family with priestly rights in the Guruvayur shrine, contended that the Udayasthamana Pooja has been an essential part of Ekadasi observance for decades, and possibly much longer than officially recorded. They argued that since the temple rituals were streamlined by Adi Shankaracharya, “any disturbance or deviation would impair the manifestation of the divine force or Chaitanya.”
Emphasising continuity of religious traditions, the Supreme Court’s direction ensures that this year’s Udayasthamana Pooja will proceed as originally prescribed—upholding the sanctity and unbroken lineage of one of Guruvayur’s most revered rituals.
