Supreme Court directs Guruvāyūr to hold Udayāstamana Pūjā on Vṛścika Ekādaśī as per tradition
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi passed an interim order that the day-long Udayāstamana Pūjā at Guruvāyūr Sree Krishna Temple continue on Vṛścika Ekādaśī as per tradition.
- ETV Bharat
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi passed an interim order that the day-long Udayāstamana Pūjā at Guruvāyūr Sree Krishna Temple continue on Vṛścika Ekādaśī as per tradition. The plea was filed by P.C. Hari of Puzhakkara Chennas Mana and other devotees against the Devaswom's scheduling.
The Board and the Tantri may also hold the pūjā on 22 October.
Key data
Vṛścika Ekādaśī falls on 21 Nov 2026. The ritual runs from sunrise to sunset with 18 pūjās, homa and abhiṣeka. The appeal against the Kerala High Court's December 2024 judgment is listed for the first week of December.
Why it matters
For the second year running the Supreme Court has protected a traditional ritual over administrative change by a state-run Devaswom, which feeds the wider debate on state control of temples.
GK: did you know?
Melpathur Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭatiri composed the Nārāyaṇīyam, a condensed Bhāgavata Purāṇa, at Guruvāyūr in 1586 CE.
