Supreme Court To Hear Plea Against Appointment Of Temple Priests From State-Recognised Thanthra Vidyalayas In Kerala

The Supreme Court today issued notice in petitions challenging the Kerala High Court's judgment which held that temple shanthis (priests) need not be appointed from any particular caste or lineage, and that those who have studied from the 'Thanthra Vidyalayas' recognised by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB) can be appointed to such posts.

The Court was considering the petitions filed by Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam and Agnisarman Vasudevan Bhattathirippad challenging the Kerala High Court's judgment, which dismissed their challenge to 'Thanthra Vidyalayas' recognised by the State agencies. 

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, while issuing notice on the petitions, ordered that any appointments done in the meantime will be subject to the outcome of the petition.

The Kerala High Court, in its judgment delivered in October last year, dismissed the challenge to the accreditation and recognition granted to certain institutions described as 'Thanthra Vidyalayas' by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB).

The High Court also rejected a challenge to the notifications issued by KDRB prescribing a certificate from the Tantra Vidya Peetoms recognized by it as one of the qualifications to be appointed as part-time shantis (priests) in various temples. It was held that there was no essential religious practice that a temple priest must be from a particular caste or lineage.

The High Court refused to accept the petitioners' argument that appointment of shanthis(temple priests) ought to be in accordance with traditional practice and cannot be diluted by subordinate legislation.

“The materials placed before us further reveal that the TDB and KDRB have established a rigorous institutional mechanism prior to granting accreditation," the Court said, noting that the syllabus prepared by the KDRB encompassed Vedic texts, rituals, religious observances, and modes of worship, and these were imparted by qualified scholars and Thanthris and the courses available extended for a period from one year to five years. Students who successfully completed the course were also subjected to initiation ceremonies, signifying their preparedness to undertake temple duties.

The Court also noted that even among such qualified candidates, the final selection was made strictly on merit by a duly constituted Committee which, apart from learned scholars, included a reputed Thanthri. The competence, merit, and eligibility of each candidate to perform religious rites and observances were thus tested once again before appointment.

As such, the Court rejected the argument of the petitioners that only persons trained under traditional priests should be appointed as shanthis.

"In such circumstances, to insist that a person must belong to a particular caste or lineage to be eligible for appointment cannot, in our considered view, be construed as an insistence upon an essential religious practice, rite, or mode of worship. No factual or legal foundation has been established to justify such a claim in the present case. The contention that individuals unconnected with spiritual functions are being considered for such posts and that this infringes the fundamental rights of the petitioners guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India is untenable.”

Case Title:

(1) AGNISARMAN VASUDEVAN BHATTATHIRIPPAD Versus THE STATE OF KERALA AND ORS., Diary No. 3377-2026

(2) AKHILA KERALA THANTHRI SAMAJAM AND ANR. Versus THE STATE OF KERALA AND ORS., SLP(C) No. 4048/2026