Lamp on hilltop: Madras HC clears ritual, says Tamil Nadu's law & order fears 'imaginary ghost'

Madurai: The Madras High Court's Madurai bench on Tuesday upheld a single judge's order allowing the lighting of a lamp on the Thirupparankundram hill here, and slammed the DMK government, saying the apprehension about law and order due to this religious practice is nothing but an 'imaginary ghost' created by them for the sake of their convenience.

The bench, comprising Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan, also made it clear that the spot on which the stone pillar (Deepathoon) is located belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple and that the Waqf Board, as of date, has no locus in this matter.

"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 the top of the hill located within its territory of Devasthanam land, on a particular day in a year, will cause disturbance to public peace. Of course, it may happen only if such a disturbance is sponsored by the state itself. We pray no State should stoop to that level to achieve their political agenda," the bench said.


The case arose from a writ petition of one Rama Ravikumar and others seeking directions to light the sacred Deepam at the ancient stone pillar on Thirupparankundram hill during the annual Karthigai Deepam festival in November-December. On December 1, 2025, Justice G R Swaminathan allowed the petition and ordered that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the festival day.

However, the State, joined by the temple management and the Hazarath Sultan Sikkandar Badhusha Avuliya Dargah at Thirupparankundram, filed appeals.

The state raised concerns over public order, claiming that lighting the lamp at the hilltop, which lies close to the dargah, could foment communal tensions.

"We find that the apprehension expressed by the District Administration regarding the probability of disturbance to the public peace is nothing but an imaginary ghost created by them for their convenience's sake and to put one community against another community under suspicion and constant mistrust," the bench said.

By allowing a few persons from the Devasthanam to the pillar for lighting the lamp and keeping the devotees stay at the foothill and worship is not an "unmanageable task, the court said.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Natural Resources S Regupathy faulted the judgment and said the government has a right to appeal in the Supreme Court.

"No evidence was provided to prove that Deepam was lit on the Deepathoon....Why a new practice should be introduced," the former Law minister asked.