# Guruvayur Devaswom to rename Kodathi Vilakku after court order 2026-08-09T22:41:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee will meet shortly to consider renaming ‘Kodathi Vilakku’, a ceremonial lamp-lighting at the Guruvayur temple, following a Kerala High Court directive. The court’s Devaswom Bench observed that the name, which refers to the court (kodathi), could create the impression of judicial association with a religious event. The court suggested a neutral name to maintain institutional impartiality under the Constitution. The directive came on a petition from a Gurubaba Ashram administrator, who also sought bans on ‘Police Vilakku’, ‘Postal Vilakku’, and bank-named lamps. The single bench in 2022 had already advised judicial officers to avoid organising the event. Devaswom chairman A.V. Gopinath stated that the name would be decided in consultation with the festival committee, and if no agreement is reached, the matter will go back to the court. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Devaswom, Guruvayur temple, institutional neutrality, Kerala High Court, Kodathi Vilakku, temple festival Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/guruvayur-devaswom-to-rename-kodathi-vilakku-after-court-order/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/guruvayur-devaswom-to-rename-kodathi-vilakku-after-court-order/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.