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News Topical, Digital Desk : The Madras High Court has issued an order amid the controversy over lighting Karthigai Deepam at the lamppost located on the Thiruparankundram hill. The High Court has upheld its earlier order. It should be noted that Hindu Tamil Party leader Ram Ravikumar had filed a petition in this matter. He had demanded that Karthigai Deepam be lit at the lamppost. Previously, the court had ordered lighting Karthigai Deepam on the festival day. However, at that time, the order could not be implemented due to fears of law and order problems.
The order to light lamps remains in effect
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has dealt a major blow to the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government. The court upheld a single judge's order directing the lighting of lamps at a stone pillar, known as a "Deepathoon," located on the Tiruparankundram hills near a dargah. The division bench, comprising Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan, pronounced the site where the stone pillar (Deepathoon) is located, belongs to the Lord Subramaniya Swamy Temple.
Consultation of ASI is necessary
The court stated that the district administration should have viewed the issue as an opportunity to resolve differences between communities. The court also stated that since the hill is a protected site, any activities conducted there must strictly adhere to the provisions of the Act. The court clarified that the lighting of lamps and the number of participants could only be determined after consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The petitioner welcomed the decision.
Petitioner Ram Ravikumar welcomed the High Court's decision, calling it a victory for Lord Muruga's devotees. The petitioner said, "The court has delivered a remarkable verdict. The government's appeal has been dismissed. Lamps should be lit on Deepathoon, and the temple administration should make the necessary arrangements. The court rejected the government's arguments today, citing the possibility of a law and order breakdown, stating that they reflect the government's inaction. This decision is a victory for the Hindus and Murugan devotees of Tamil Nadu."
History of Thiruparankundram controversy
Tirupparankundram Hill, one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan, houses an ancient rock-cut temple and is a major pilgrimage site. The hill also houses a dargah. Tensions between the temple and the dargah have existed since 1920, when a dispute first arose over the hill's ownership. A civil court ruling, upheld by the Privy Council, confirmed that the hill belonged to the Subramanya Swamy Temple, with the exception of certain areas belonging to the dargah. However, the ruling did not mention the rituals or the Deepam tradition.
DIPAM controversy
The Deepam lighting controversy surfaced in 1994 when a devotee requested the High Court to shift the ritual from the traditional site near the Uchippillaiyar Kovil Mandapam near the temple to the Deepadun site near the dargah on the hilltop. In 1996, the High Court ruled that the Deepam should generally be lit at the traditional site near the Mandapam, a direction that remains the only judicial order defining the recognised site for the ritual.
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