Thiruparankundram Row: Vijay Govt Approaches Supreme Court Against Madras HC Order

The Tamil Nadu Government has moved the Supreme Court to challenge a Madras High Court directive that permits the lighting of a traditional lamp atop a stone pillar near a Dargah on Madurai's historic Thiruparankundram hill.

The Special Leave Petition (SLP) takes aim at a January 6 verdict by a division bench of the High Court's Madurai Bench. That ruling upheld a December single-bench decision allowing the 'Karthigai Deepam' to be lit at the disputed site. Interestingly, the State's appeal was officially lodged on June 11, shortly after the newly elected government, led by actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK, assumed office.

Roots of the Dispute
The legal battle stems from writ petitions filed by individual devotees who demanded the right to light a lamp at the Deepa Thoon (stone lamp pillar) situated atop the hills. However, the spot sits a mere 50 metres away from a local Dargah, raising concerns over communal harmony.

The state's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department-which manages the prominent Lord Subramaniya temple at the foothills-vehemently opposed the request. The department maintained that:

• There is no historical or religious custom of lighting a lamp at this specific Deepa Thoon.
• The traditional ritual has always been customarily performed at an entirely different location on the hill.
• The pillar itself was not a religious relic, but rather a survey stone erected during the British Raj.

High Court's Stance

Despite the administration's objections, Justice GR Swaminathan of the High Court initially allowed the devotees' petition. He observed that lighting the lamp did not infringe upon the rights of the Dargah, and asserted that blocking the ritual would violate the fundamental rights of the worshippers.

When local authorities hesitated to implement the order, citing security concerns, contempt proceedings were initiated. Justice Swaminathan subsequently ordered the ritual to proceed under the strict protection of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Timeline of Key Legal Events:

• Dec 2025: Single bench allows lamp lighting; State files initial SLP (unlisted).
• Jan 2026: Division bench upholds the single-bench order.
• June 2026: New TVK-led government files fresh SLP in the Supreme Court.

In January, the division bench solidified this stance by dismissing the State's appeals. The bench ruled that lighting the lamp was unlikely to trigger any law-and-order disruptions, adding that it is the temple management's explicit duty to safeguard such traditions. The judges also summarily rejected the government's argument that the pillar was merely a colonial-era survey marker.

The Escalation to New Delhi
While the State government had previously filed an SLP last December during the height of the contempt proceedings, that petition was never listed for a hearing. Following the recent political transition in Tamil Nadu, the new administration has renewed its legal push. Filed through Advocate-on-Record B. Karunakaran, the state's latest petition brings the sensitive inter-faith and cultural dispute to the highest court in the land, where the apex body will now decide the fate of the hilltop rituals.