Karthigai Deepam Must Be Lit: Madras High Court Rejects State’s ‘Imaginary’ Law and Order Fears at Thiruparankundram

In a sharp and unusually candid verdict, the Madras High Court has allowed the lighting of Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar) atop Thiruparankundram Hill, firmly rejecting the Tamil Nadu government’s claim that the ritual would disturb public peace.

The Division Bench of Justice G. Jayachandran and Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan observed that it was “ridiculous and hard to believe” that a once-a-year religious ritual, performed by temple representatives on temple land, could threaten law and order—unless such disturbance was “sponsored by the State itself to achieve a political agenda.”

The Court’s words were not casual. They were a direct response to the State administration’s repeated attempts to block the ritual, citing vague and unsubstantiated fears of communal tension due to the presence of a nearby dargah.

What the Court Ordered

Disposing of a batch of writ appeals, the Bench directed that:

1. The Temple Devasthanam shall light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon during the Tamil month of Karthigai.
2. Only a limited team of 50 temple representatives may access the site.
3. Public entry will remain restricted, and
4. The District Collector shall coordinate the event, with safeguards imposed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to protect the monument.

The Court made it clear that administrative convenience or speculative fears cannot override constitutionally protected religious practices.

Background of the Dispute

The controversy arose after a single-judge Bench directed the temple authorities to light the Deepam at the stone pillar on the hill, a practice
claimed to be part of long-standing tradition.

The State government challenged the order, arguing that:

• The ritual violated Agama Shastra,
• It was a newly invented custom, and
• It posed a serious law and order risk due to the proximity of the Suji Saint dargah.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department also echoed these concerns, warning that allowing the ritual could “create disharmony.”

Court’s Findings: Law Over Fear

Madras HC Madurai Bench Verdict – Court rejects law and order fears, allows controlled lamp lighting at Thiruparankundram hill

The High Court rejected these arguments one by one.

It held that lighting the Karthigai Deepam is a deeply rooted religious and cultural practice, followed across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring regions from time immemorial. Denying such a practice, the Court said, directly impacts Article 25 (freedom of religion), Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of expression), and Article 29(1) (right to conserve culture).

On the State’s law and order argument, the Court was blunt. It termed the apprehension an “imaginary ghost”, created more for administrative convenience than public safety.

“Projecting the ritual as a threat to peace is either an exposure of the State’s incapacity to maintain law and order or its hesitation to foster communal harmony,” the Bench noted.

A Larger Constitutional Question

Beyond the immediate dispute, the judgment raises a deeper question: Can a secular State selectively suppress Hindu religious practices under the pretext of public order, while failing to produce any concrete evidence of risk?

The Court answered this decisively in the negative.

It reminded the administration that neutral governance does not mean suspicion towards one faith, and that secularism under the Constitution demands equal respect—not selective restraint.

The Bench also rejected claims that the Deepathoon belonged to the dargah, noting that historical records, including earlier judicial findings, confirmed the land as temple property. The Waqf Board, the Court held, had no locus in the matter.

Verdict with a Message

By allowing the ritual with clear safeguards, the Court struck a careful balance—protecting religious freedom while ensuring public order.

But its strongest message was reserved for the State.

• Fear cannot be manufactured.
• Law and order cannot be hypothetical.
• And governance cannot be driven by political optics at the cost of constitutional rights.

As per court order, the number of participants in the festival has been restricted to fifty with no animal sacrifice, and the official respondents shall strictly enforce the above directions.

The Karthigai Deepam will now be lit at Thiruparankundram—not because of sentiment, but because the law demands it.

Case Title: The Executive Officer Arulmigu Subramanian Swamy Temple, Thirupparankundram, Madurai v. Rama.Ravikumar and Ors.
[W.A(MD) Nos.3188, 3189, 3204, 3211, 3212, 3213, 3217, 3218, 3219, 3220, 3221, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3226, 3227, 3229, 3230, 3231, 3232 of 2025]

Advocates who appeared in this case:

For the Petitioner: Niranjan S. Kumar for H. Velavadhas
For the Respondents: R. Baskaran, Additional Advocate General a/w M. Muthumanikam, Government Advocate; Veera Kathiravan, Additional Advocate General a/w S. Ravi, Additional Public Prosecutor, S. Vanchinathan; Chandrasekara.