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The Kerala High Court has held that mandating temple priests (Santhis) to be appointed solely from specific castes or lineages does not constitute an essential religious practice protected under the Constitution. A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar upheld the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board’s (KDRB) decision to accept experience certificates from Thanthra Vidyalayas for recruiting part-time priests.

The petitioners, including the Akhila Kerala Thanthri Samajam representing traditional priestly families, argued that appointments should strictly follow religious texts and hereditary traditions. However, the Court relied on Supreme Court precedent from Seshammal v. State of Tamil Nadu (1972), which characterized priest appointments as secular trustee functions, not core religious rites.

The Court emphasized that caste or lineage-based recruitment is not constitutionally protected and rejected claims that these practices uphold religious freedom under Articles 25 and 26. It further held that customs violating human rights or social equality cannot be recognized.

The Court found that the existing qualification system through Thanthra Vidyalayas is rigorous, with candidates undergoing merit-based selection by committees including learned scholars and experienced priests.

The writ petition by the Samajam was dismissed for lack of merit.