THRISSUR: Sudhakaran Namboothiri of Moorthiyedathu Mana, Sreekrishnapuram, Palakkad, has been selected as the new chief priest (Melshanti) of the Guruvayur Temple for the six-month term beginning October 1, 2025.

The selection was made through a draw held on Wednesday after the Ucha Pooja (noon worship), when the temple doors reopened.

The names of 51 eligible applicants, shortlisted after an interview in front of the temple Tantri, Brahmashree P C Dinesan Namboothiripad, and the Devaswom governing body, were placed in a silver pot before the sanctum sanctorum. The present Melshanti, Kavapra Marath Achuthan Namboothiri, picked the lot in the presence of the Tantri.