The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench on Tuesday upheld a single judge’s order permitting the lighting of a ceremonial lamp at the Thirupparankundram hill shrine on the occasion of Deepathoon. The ruling came amid a long-standing dispute over the location and practice of the ritual.
A division bench comprising Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan held that the earlier order was not barred by the principle of res judicata, as the issue had not been conclusively decided in previous cases, according to a report by Live Law.
The controversy centres on Thirupparankundram hill, a site historically associated with religious coexistence. The hill houses the Subramaniya Swamy Temple, the Kasi Viswanathar Temple, and the Sikkander Badusha Dargah, which was built much later. Traditionally, the Karthigai Deepam lamp was lit at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, but a petition filed by an activist sought permission to light the lamp at the Deepam pillar located at the hilltop.
Earlier, Justice G R Swaminathan had directed state authorities to ensure that the lamp was lit at the top of the hill and allowed the petitioner along with ten others to access the site for the ritual. The Tamil Nadu government challenged this order, citing concerns over law and order and claiming it departed from long-established practice.
The dispute has also been politically sensitive. Tensions flared in February last year following protests by Hindu organisations over allegations that a member of Parliament consumed meat on the hill. The Bharatiya Janata Party has since referred to Thirupparankundram as the “Ayodhya of the South.”
Ownership claims further complicate the matter. The Subramaniya Swamy Temple asserts rights over most of the hill based on a 1920 court ruling, while the dargah holds recognised rights over the mosque and its associated structures.