The Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition challenging the Kerala High Court’s decision, which supported the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple administration’s move to stop the long-standing ritual of “udayasthamana pooja” on Ekadasi.
A bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal issued a notice to the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee, the Kerala government, and other relevant parties regarding the order passed on December 7.
However, the Supreme Court also instructed that the temple’s daily pooja schedule displayed on its website should remain as it is for now. “We can’t intervene at this stage. We will issue notices to the concerned parties. Prima facie, we are satisfied,” the bench remarked.
The udayasthamana pooja is an important ritual performed in temples throughout the day, starting from sunrise (udaya) and concluding at sunset (asthamana). The Guruvayur Temple administration decided to discontinue this practice on Ekadasi, explaining that the decision was made due to difficulties with crowd management and the desire to allow more devotees time for darshan (viewing the deity).
The plea was filed by P C Harry and other family members who hold priestly rights at the temple. They argued that Ekadasi is the most crucial festival at the temple and that the udayasthamana pooja has been an integral part of the temple’s tradition for centuries, with the practice officially started in 1972.
The petitioners emphasized that this ritual was formalized by Adi Sankaracharya, and any deviation from it could potentially affect the divine energy, or “Chaitanya,” believed to be embodied in the ritual.
By agreeing to review the case, the Supreme Court has signaled its intent to carefully consider the implications of altering centuries-old religious practices, especially those held in high reverence by the temple’s devotees.
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