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Journalism of Courage
The Supreme Court has directed that ‘Udayasthamana’ (sunrise to sunset) pooja at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple in Kerala must be performed on Vrishchikam Ekadasi on December 1, as per the temple’s age-old tradition.
A bench of Justice J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi said this in their order Thursday while hearing an interim plea that sought direction to the temple authorities to perform the pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi on 01.12.2025 (Monday), strictly in accordance with the age-old customs traditions of the temple; and restrain the temple authorities from altering or rescheduling the pooja to any other date.
The court said, “Upon hearing, we find that Udayasthamana Pooja was being performed on Vrishchikam Ekadasi since long. It is to observe that any ritual which is being performed at any place or site of worship as part of long-standing tradition, and has assumed religious significance, ought not be unsettled on the apprehension that there would be potential public inconvenience. The faith of the worshippers at large ought not to be put aside on the anvil of managerial and administrative concerns…”
It said that the pooja by Acharyas is… “for enhancing the divinity of deity”. “On special occasions such as Vrishchikam Ekadasi, inconvenience to the public cannot be a ground to discontinue/alter the rituals…”
“In this view of the matter, subject to final outcome of the appeal, by way of interim measure, we direct that Udayasthamana Pooja shall be continued in the manner as it was being performed as per the tradition of the temple on Vrishchikam Ekadasi without any change,” the bench said.
