'Pooja Is For Deity, How Can It Be Stopped For Public Convenience?' : Supreme Court Issues Notice To Guruvayoor Temple Dewaswom

The Court questioned whether the pooja can be stopped on the ground that it will cause inconvenience to the public. Justice Maheshwari observed, “Pooja has been stopped on the pretext of causing inconvenience to the public. Pooja is for the deity. For increasing the divinity of the deity. So, this cannot be as per the public. Management may find a way to manage things. How far this reason is justified, we have to examine this point.”

A bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Rajesh Bindal issued notice to the respondents, including the Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee, Thantri and the State of Kerala, returnable in 4 weeks.

Meanwhile, the Court directed that there should not be any change in the scheduled daily poojas. “In the meanwhile, we observe that the chart of the daily Pooja as available on the website shall not be changed or deleted”, the Court said in its order.

Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan and AoR A Karthik appeared for the petitioners.

The petitioners wanted the pooja to happen today from 6 AM, however, no pooja was conducted as the Kerala High Court had upheld the management's decision. As the pooja time had passed, Justice Maheshwari said that no interim relief can be provided today. However, he said that the Court is prima facie satisfied with the petitioners' case. “Today we cannot do anything...We will issue notice to the other side. Prima facie we are satisfied.”

Justice Maheshwari noted that before the High Court, the petitioners and the intervenors contended that Udayasthamana Pooja on the Ekadasi day of Vrishchikam is conducted to increase the divinity of the deity, which is a religious practice followed in the temple for time immemorial. Further, he noted, they had submitted that it is the right of the deity that he should be worshipped on Vrishchikam Ekadasi by the performance of Udayasthamana Pooja by the Othikans.

Therefore, the bench questioned whether this can be stopped on the ground that it will cause inconvenience to the public.

Background

The dispute arose from a decision by the temple administration, supported by the Tantri, to forego the Udayasthamana Pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi, citing difficulties in crowd management and a desire to allow more devotees time for darshan. The appellants, who are members of the temple's hereditary priestly family, challenged this decision, contending that it violated age-old customs and rituals.

The appellants argued before the High Court that the Udayasthamana Pooja has been conducted for centuries and was streamlined by Adi Sankaracharya himself. They emphasized that its non-performance would disturb the spiritual sanctity of the deity and offend the beliefs of devotees.

The temple administration and the Tantri, however, maintained that the Udayasthamana Pooja is not an indispensable ritual but a form of offering (Vazhipadu), which has been altered in the past to accommodate practical considerations. The administration also highlighted that the change was made in consultation with the Tantri after determining that it would not adversely affect the temple's rituals or traditions.

The Kerala High Court referred to various judgments that held that under the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978, the Tantri has the final authority in matters of religious and ceremonial practices, unless such decisions contravene any law.

The High Court said that the question of whether the performance of Udayasthamana Pooja in Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple on Vrishchikam Ekadasi on the Shuklapaksham day is part of the temple traditions (Acharams) or an offering (Vazhipadu), is a disputed question of facts. The Court dismissed the petition, stating that the issue has to be agitated before a competent civil court, and not the High Court in writ jurisdiction.

Case no. – SLP(C) No. 29687/2024

Case Title – PC Hary v. Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee