Who decides a ritual at Guruvayur: the Devaswom Managing Committee and the Thantri

Background

The question of who may fix the day of the Udayasthamana Pooja is live before the Supreme Court, which has directed that the pooja at Guruvayur be held on Vrishchikam Ekadasi as an interim measure.
The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple is administered by the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee, a statutory body constituted under the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978.
The Kerala High Court, dismissing the earlier plea, reasoned that under that Act the Thantri is the final authority on the religious and ceremonial matters of the temple.
The challenge to the Committee's decision was brought by P.C. Hary of Puzhakkara Chennas Mana, of the temple's hereditary priestly family, along with other devotees.
The Committee had decided to cancel the pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi citing crowd management, telling the Court that over one lakh people visit the temple on Ekadasi.
The Udayasthamana Pooja itself runs from sunrise to sunset and comprises 18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam.