The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order that permitted devotees to light the traditional Karthigai Deepam atop a stone pillar, known as the Deepa Thoon, located near a dargah on the historic Thiruparankundram Hill in Madurai district.
The Special Leave Petition (SLP), filed on June 11, contests a January 6 judgment of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which upheld an earlier single-judge order allowing the lighting of the sacred lamp at the site. The move comes shortly after the new state government led by TVK chief Vijay assumed office.
At the heart of the dispute is the Deepa Thoon, situated approximately 50 metres from the Sikandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah atop the hill. A group of Hindu devotees had sought permission to perform the Karthigai Deepam ritual at the stone pillar, claiming it to be an important religious practice linked to the hill's spiritual traditions.
However, the State's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, which administers the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple at the foothill, opposed the request. The department argued that there was no established custom of lighting the lamp at the specific location and maintained that the ritual had historically been conducted elsewhere.
In December 2025, Justice G.R. Swaminathan ruled in favour of the devotees, observing that lighting the lamp would not interfere with the rights of the dargah or its worshippers. The court held that preventing devotees from carrying out the ritual would amount to an infringement of their religious freedoms.
When the authorities failed to implement the order, contempt proceedings were initiated. During these proceedings, the court directed that the ritual be allowed and ordered security arrangements through the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to ensure peaceful conduct of the ceremony.
The State subsequently challenged the order before a division bench of the High Court. However, the bench upheld both the original judgment and the directions issued during the contempt proceedings. The judges rejected the government's argument that the Deepa Thoon was merely a survey marker installed during the British era and observed that safeguarding religious traditions was the responsibility of the temple administration. The court also noted that permitting the ritual would not pose any law-and-order concerns.
The Tamil Nadu government had earlier moved the Supreme Court against the contempt-related directions in December last year, but that petition was not taken up for hearing. The latest SLP now seeks a comprehensive review of the High Court's rulings on the matter.
The Thiruparankundram Hill issue has long been a sensitive and complex matter involving questions of religious rights, historical claims, and access to shared sacred spaces. The hill is home to the centuries-old Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, one of the six revered abodes of Lord Murugan, as well as the Sikandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah situated at the summit.
Over the years, disputes have arisen over the ownership and usage of various locations on the hill, including the Deepa Thoon. The case has drawn attention due to its intersection of faith, heritage, and communal harmony, with both Hindu and Muslim communities maintaining historical and spiritual connections to the site.
As the matter now reaches the Supreme Court, the apex court's decision is expected to have significant implications not only for the parties involved but also for the broader debate surrounding religious practices, shared sacred spaces, and the protection of traditional customs in India.
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