The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld a single judge’s ruling that the traditional Karthigai Deepam must be lit on the hilltop at Thiruparankundram Hill, rejecting an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government and the temple administration.
A Division Bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan affirmed the order passed by Justice G.R. Swaminathan, who had earlier directed that the ceremonial lamp be lit at the hilltop lamp pillar during the annual Karthigai festival — a long-standing religious practice tied to the historic Thiruparankundram temple near Madurai.
The state government and temple authorities had opposed the lighting of the lamp, arguing there was no concrete proof of a traditional lamp pillar on the hilltop and warning of possible communal tensions since the hill also houses a dargah. However, the Division Bench firmly rejected these claims.
“The contention that lighting the lamp would disturb law and order is untenable,” the court observed, adding that such arguments were not backed by any credible evidence.
The Bench also dismissed the claim that the lamp pillar in question belonged to the dargah. “No materials have been placed to substantiate such a claim,” the judges noted.
The dispute arose from a writ petition seeking permission to perform the Karthigai Deepam ritual on the hilltop, as had allegedly been the tradition. Petitioners cited a 1961 publication by the Thiruparankundram Devasthanam that mentioned the lighting of the ceremonial lamp on a hilltop pillar.
Relying on this and other records, Justice Swaminathan allowed the ritual to proceed and directed temple authorities to permit the lamp-lighting. The state and temple trust later challenged the order.
The Division Bench, however, upheld the single judge’s reasoning, finding the practice to be both longstanding and sufficiently supported by documentation.
The Bench also took a stern view of the role played by the local administration. “Instead of facilitating a traditional religious practice, the Madurai district authorities have created unnecessary complications,” the court said.
With this ruling, the High Court has brought an end to the long-drawn litigation over a religious ritual deeply significant to the local community.
The order ensures that the Karthigai Deepam will be lit every year on the Thiruparankundram hilltop during the annual festival, reaffirming the religious and cultural heritage of the site.
