"Cocking A Snook": Court Raps Tamil Nadu For "Disobeying" Temple Lamp Order

In a late-evening development today, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court pulled up the Tamil Nadu government for wilful disobedience after the Karthigai Deepam (holy lamp) was not lit on the ancient Deepathoon pillar at Madurai's Thirupparankundram - despite a clear direction issued on December 1.

Instead, the temple lit the lamp only at the usual traditional spot near the Uchipillaiyar temple, continuing a practice followed for more than a century.

The contempt petition was filed by Rama Ravikumar, who told the court that the temple administration had made "no arrangement whatsoever" for lighting the lamp on the Deepathoon, which stands well clear of a 14th century dargah complex that includes the grave of Sultan Sikandhar Badushah, a Sufi saint who is believed to have died fighting the city of Madurai against Vijayanagara ruler Kumara Kampana. The festival lighting took place at 6 pm this evening.

"Contempt has been committed... the order has been breached," Justice GR Swaminathan said. He added the contempt petition was "not premature" and observed in strong words that "contempt has been committed is beyond dispute..."

The judge recorded that the executive officer of the temple was unreachable, the appeal filed by the temple was defective, and that the dargah - which alone could be aggrieved - had not filed any appeal.

"The state administration has decided to cock a snook at this court's order... Defying the order would sound the death knell of democracy itself," the judge said.

He called the officials' conduct "deliberate", and reminded them of the Supreme Court's warning that "no one, how high they may be, may think that they are above the law."

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) provided protection for the lamp-lighting.

The local authorities have imposed a ban on large gatherings to maintain peace and order.

At the centre of the dispute is the Thirupparankundram Subramaniaswamy temple - regarded as one of six dedicated to the deity Murugan - and the lighting a lamp on the eve of Karthigai Deepam, a festival celebrated on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Karthigai.

For more than a century the lamp has been lit near the Ucchi Pillayar temple, which is halfway up the hill on which the Subramaniaswamy temple was built, sometime in the sixth century.

In a rare enforcement move under contempt jurisdiction, the judge allowed the petitioner to climb the hill with 10 others and light the lamp, symbolically, at the Deepathoon pillar. He directed the CISF unit to provide security for the group. The court also ordered the temple executive officer and the Madurai Police Commissioner to appear on Thursday.

The state government then filed an appeal against the single-judge order, after which the police stopped the petitioner and others from going to the hilltop pillar near the dargah. The court will hear the matter tomorrow. The petitioner and the group who were stopped by the police said they will wait till the court order tomorrow, and criticised the temple administration for not allowing them to light the lamp even after the court order.

Tamil Nadu government sources said the state government is not against Hindus, but are only protecting the interests of Hindus. The state government wants to take care of genuine devotees and not politically affiliated people, they said, adding no devotee has approached the court.

They said the lamp has always been lit near the pillar at the lower level for over 100 years, and it has not been proven with evidence that it was lit in the upper pillar. They said the single-judge's order relied on an observation made in 1996.

Background

On the ground there is communal amity between Hindus and Muslims. For more than 100 years, the deepam has been lit only near the Uchipillaiyar temple at a lower level, away from the dargah on the upper peak.

But on December 1, Justice Swaminathan held that the ancient deepathoon is temple property, quoting a 1923 decree upheld by the Privy Council, which said "The unoccupied portion of the hill has been in the possession of the temple from time immemorial."

The judge highlighted the need to periodically light the lamp on the pillar as an assertion of ownership, warning that "failure to maintain vigilance will lead to loss of the right itself."

Sensitive Political Backdrop

The incident comes amid rising political heat. The ruling DMK government - cautious not to alienate either minorities or Hindu voters ahead of 2026 - has accused the BJP of taking up this issue for political gains.

BJP leader K Annamalai called it "shameful" and accused the MK Stalin government of "misusing the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department against Hindu interests."

"The DMK government's hostility toward Sanatan Dharma is no longer a matter of interpretation; it is a fact. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department (which is supposed to serve Hindu devotees) appealed against a court order blocking the lighting of the sacred Karthigai Deepam atop Thiruparankundram Hill. This act strikes at the very heart of our people's faith," he said in a post on X.

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan told NDTV, "The BJP attempts to create division between Hindus and Muslims. Here they are so cordial. We don't want any problem triggered by this".

On the ground, there were attempts by pro-Hindu groups to proceed to the hill; tempers ran high after the police stopped them.