The Supreme Court has held that rituals and practices performed as part of long-standing religious traditions should not be disturbed merely for administrative or managerial convenience.
A bench of Justices J. K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi made this observation while dealing with a dispute regarding the performance of the Udayasthamana Pooja on the occasion of Vrishchikam Ekadasi at the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala.
The Court observed that the ritual in question has been performed for centuries and holds deep religious importance for devotees. It emphasized that the faith of worshippers cannot be compromised on the grounds of public inconvenience or crowd management. “Any ritual that has acquired religious significance should not be unsettled on the mere apprehension of potential public inconvenience,” the bench noted.
Directing that the Udayasthamana Pooja be performed on the Ekadasi day itself in accordance with traditional customs, the Court clarified that the temple administration and the chief priest (Thantri) may, if they wish, conduct the ritual on an additional day as well.
The judgment reinforces the principle that established religious customs in places of worship must be respected and cannot be altered simply for the sake of administrative ease.
