'Very balanced order': SC upholds Madras high court's deepam nod at Madurai hilltop

NEW DELHI: In a long-running quality implicit spiritual practices connected the Thiruparankundram elevation successful Madurai, the Supreme Court connected Monday refused to interfere with a Madras precocious court judgement that permitted lighting of the Karthigai Deepam astatine a hilltop chromatic pillar and restricted Muslim prayers astatine a adjacent tract but during Ramzan and Bakri-Id.The precocious tribunal had held that Muslims person nary close to behaviour immoderate prayers astatine the Nellithoppu tract but during Ramzan and Bakri-Id. The 33 cents of onshore is owned by the Sikkandar Badhusha Avuliya Dargah. The precocious tribunal had besides ruled that carnal sacrifice cannot beryllium permitted successful the area.Challenging the verdict, M. Imam Hussain, a worshipper astatine the Dargah, approached the apex court. A seat comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice PB Varale declined to interfere, describing the precocious tribunal bid arsenic balanced.

Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted that determination has ne'er been a instrumentality and bid occupation successful the area.Justice Kumar responded that had determination been nary instrumentality and bid issue, determination would not person been a gathering of the Peace Committee. "It seems to beryllium a precise very balanced order," Justice Kumar said and Justice Varale agreed with it, according to the Live Law."We bash not suggest to interfere with the order. Without expressing immoderate sentiment connected rights of the parties, the impugned bid stands upheld," the seat observed.

The ruling stems from proceedings earlier the Madurai Bench of the Madras precocious court, which had upheld a azygous judge’s bid permitting the Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple absorption to airy the Karthigai Deepam astatine the Deepathoon, a chromatic pillar located connected 1 of the peaks of the Thiruparankundram hill.

A part seat confirmed the earlier ruling of Justice GR Swaminathan, directing that the ceremonial lamp beryllium lit astatine the Deepathoon successful summation to the different customary locations during the festival.The precocious tribunal observed that the territory medication ought to person treated the contented arsenic an accidental to span the spread betwixt the communities done mediation. It further held that since the elevation is simply a protected site, immoderate enactment carried retired determination indispensable strictly comply with the provisions of the applicable law.The tribunal clarified that the lamp whitethorn beryllium lit and the fig of persons permitted tin beryllium fixed, taxable to consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India.

With this, the tribunal cleared the mode for continuation of the practice, dismissing objections raised against lighting the lamp astatine the hilltop chromatic pillar.What’s the deepam row?Thiruparankundram hill, rising astatine the borderline of Madurai, carries a layered spiritual past spanning much than 2 millennia. Revered arsenic 1 of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, it houses the past Subramaniya Swamy Temple and has references successful Sangam-era literature. Archaeological traces uncover Jain beingness dating backmost implicit 2,300 years. By the 14th century, the elevation besides became associated with Sikandar Shah, whose memorial evolved into the Sikkandar Badusha Dargah. For generations, temple festivals and dargah observances unfolded successful proximity, with section residents describing shared rituals and overlapping traditions alternatively than rigid divisions.The existent quality centres connected wherever the Karthigai Deepam should beryllium lit during the yearly festival.

Historically, the lamp was lit astatine the Uchipillaiyar mandapam. Petitions opening successful the 1990s sought to displacement the lighting to the hilltop Deepathoon pillar. Courts had earlier declined to change established practice. However, a caller petition successful 2024 argued that the 1920s Privy Council decree recognising temple ownership of the elevation permitted lighting astatine the pillar. Justice G R Swaminathan allowed the hilltop lighting, triggering administrative absorption connected instrumentality and bid grounds and yet escalating into a governmental flashpoint betwixt the ruling DMK and the BJP, earlier reaching the Supreme Court.