Madras HC upholds lighting of deepam on Thiruparankundram hill, slams TN government for political interference

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday, 6 January, upheld a single judge order permitting the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam (a sacred oil lamp lit during the Tamil winter harvest festival) on the Deepathoon (ancient stone pillar) atop Thiruparankundram hill, affirming that the location belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy temple.

A division bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan made it clear that no "formidable evidence" was provided to show that the Agama Sastra of Shaivites prohibits lighting the lamp at a place which is not straight on top of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum. The bench further noted, "… nor it is the case of the Devasthanam or the Government that lighting deepam is not a custom prevailing in Thiruparankundram Hill."

The court criticised the Tamil Nadu government’s opposition to this, stating: "It is ridiculous and hard to believe the fear of the mighty State that by allowing representatives of the Devasthanam to light the lamp at the stone pillar near top of the hill… will cause disturbance to public peace. Of course, it may happen only if such disturbance is sponsored by the State itself. We pray no State should stoop to that level to achieve their political agenda."

The bench laid out that the lamp lighting must be conducted by temple authorities with a limited team, coordinated with the Archaeological Survey of India and the police, under the supervision of the District Collector. Restrictions may be imposed under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act to preserve the monument.

It is worth mentioning that for generations, local people had lit the lamp at a location chosen by memory, not by decree. That location was not marked on any map. It was passed on by repetition . A single judge changed that, overturning an earlier division bench order that had protected the inherited practice.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Natural Resources, S Regupathy, criticised the judgment and said the government reserves the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, questioning, "No evidence was provided to prove that deepam was lit at the deepathoon… why a new practice should be introduced."

Petitioner Rama Ravikumar welcomed the verdict as a “victory for the devotees of Lord Muruga,” while the BJP hailed the judgment as a “slap on the face of the DMK regime.”