The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on the petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Government challenging the Madras High Court’s direction allowing the lighting of the lamp atop a stone pillar near a Dargah at the Thiruparankudram hill in Madurai district.
A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul Pancholi issued notices to the respondents (writ petitioners in the High Court, ASI, TN Waqf Board, Sikkander Badushah Durgah). The bench however turned down the State’s plea to stay the High Court’s order ex-parte, and issued notice on the stay application.
The bench asked why the State has filed the petition only in June against the order passed in January. The State’s petition in the Supreme Court was filed on June 11, after the new government led by TVK’s Vijay assumed charge.
The State’s petition has been ordered to be tagged along with an earlier writ petition filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad (WP(c) 1280/2025) seeking ASI takeover of the hill and directions for daily lamp lighting at the contested spot.
The Special Leave Petition has been filed against the order passed by a division bench of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) on January 6, which upheld an order passed by a single bench in December last year allowing the lighting of the ‘Karthigai Deepam’ at the spot.
The High Court’s order was passed in writ petitions filed by individuals who sought the right to light a lamp at the ‘Deepa Thoon’ (stone lamp pillar) atop the Thirupparankundram hills. The spot is located about 50 meters away from a Dargah on the hill. The State HR&CE Department, which manages the Lord Subramaniya temple at the bottom of the hill, opposed the plea, contending that there was no custom of lighting the lamp at the Deepa Thoon, as it was customarily lit at another spot.
Justice GR Swaminathan of the High Court allowed the writ petition, observing that the rights of the Dargah were not affected by the act, and stopping the lamp-lighting would violate the rights of the devotees. The refusal of the State administration to allow the lamp-lighting led to contempt proceedings, where Justice Swaminathan passed orders to execute the act with the protection of CISF forces. The division bench upheld the orders passed by Justice Swaminathan in contempt proceedings. Challenging the dismissal of the contempt proceedings, the State had filed an SLP in December last year, but the same never got listed in the Supreme Court.
In January, a division bench upheld the original orders passed by Justice Swaminathan in the writ petitions, holding that the lighting of the lamp will not cause any law and order problem. The division bench held that the temple management has the duty to protect the traditions. The division bench also rejected the argument of the State that the ‘deepa thoon’ was a survey stone erected by the British rulers.
The State’s SLP has been filed through AoR B Karunakaran.
Case : Commissioner v. Rama Ravikumar | Diary No. 36337/2026
