Madras HC to deliver its verdict tomorrow on Thiruparankundram Hill lamp case

Chennai, Jan 5 The Madras High Court is set to deliver its verdict on Tuesday in the contentious Thiruparankundram Hill lamp case after reserving orders on a batch of appeals challenging a single judge’s directive permitting the lighting of a ceremonial lamp atop the hill.

The matter was heard by a Division Bench comprising Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan, which considered detailed oral submissions from all parties. The appeals were filed by several stakeholders, including the Charitable Trust Department and the Dargah administration, against an earlier order passed by Justice G.R. Swaminathan.

The core issue before the court relates to whether a lamp can be lit on the summit of the Thiruparankundram Hill and whether such an act amounts merely to a religious practice or extends to the assertion of property rights over the land.

Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, Chief Advocate P.S. Raman argued that the petitioner, Ram Ravikumar, had not produced any credible documentary or historical evidence to establish the existence of a lamp post or pillar on the hilltop.

The state, he said, has consistently maintained that no such lamp pillar exists at the site.

Raman referred to historical records to bolster the government’s case, pointing out that when a judge inspected the hill in 1920, the judgment made no mention of any lamp pillar. Had such a structure existed, he argued, it would have found a place in the inspection report and the subsequent ruling.

He further submitted that the administration of temples and the conduct of religious rituals are governed by statutory rules and long-established practices.

Temple authorities, he said, have the exclusive right to conduct customary ceremonies strictly in accordance with law.

The Chief Advocate also contended that the dispute ought to have been taken to a civil court, as it involves questions of rights, usage, and long-standing practices.

All worship-related customs and rituals at Thiruparankundram, he maintained, are presently being carried out in compliance with legal norms.

Questioning the single judge’s order, Raman asked whether the case was truly about lighting a lamp or whether it indirectly involved a claim over property rights.

He posed a wider legal concern, asking whether an individual could claim ownership or exclusive rights over temple or government land by asserting a right to light a lamp at a particular location. After hearing arguments from all sides, the Division Bench reserved its verdict. In the present context, the court is expected to pronounce its decision in the case on Tuesday (January 6).

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