TN govt to challenge Madras HC order on lighting of lamp at Thirupparankundram hill in Supreme Court

Chennai, Jan 6 The Tamil Nadu government will approach the Supreme Court of India against the Madras High court (Madurai Bench) order permitting the lighting of a lamp at the 'deepa thoon (lamp pillar)' atop Thirupparankundram hill, as introducing a completely new practice through a judicial order is fundamentally wrong, State Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Raghupathi said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, the Minister said the government was compelled to file an appeal as the verdict was legally flawed and went against long-standing cultural practice.

He pointed out that the original order had been issued by Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), where a Division Bench partly upheld the earlier direction of single judge Justice G. R. Swaminathan.

According to the Minister, the Madurai Bench, while restraining the general public from accessing the lamp pillar, simultaneously directed that certain individuals under the leadership of the District Collector be allowed to go to the site and light the lamp. “This, in itself, is contradictory and legally untenable,” he said.

Raghupathi stressed that there is no historical or documentary evidence to establish that lighting a lamp at the lamp pillar on Thirupparankundram hill was ever a customary practice in Tamil Nadu.

“If a court is to permit a ritual or religious act at a particular place, there must be proof that such a practice existed earlier. In this case, no such evidence was produced before the court,” he said.

The district administration, he noted, had clearly submitted before the court that lighting lamps at the lamp pillar should not be permitted, as it could lead to law and order issues.

“Never in the past has there been a requirement or tradition to light a lamp at this pillar. Introducing a completely new practice through a judicial order is fundamentally wrong,” the Minister argued.

Emphasizing respect for the judiciary, Raghupathi clarified that the government was not questioning the institution itself. “The judiciary cannot be maligned. However, when an order is patently illegal or unsupported by evidence, the government has every right to challenge it through constitutional means,” he said.

Describing the issue as sensitive, the Minister said the verdict hurt Tamil sentiments and cultural continuity.

“Tamil culture and tradition must be protected. Creating a practice that never existed earlier, through a court order, raises serious doubts and serves no public interest,” he said.

The controversy centres on Thirupparankundram, a site of immense religious and historical significance, where competing claims over rituals and access have repeatedly sparked legal and social debates.

The State government is expected to file its appeal in the Supreme Court shortly, seeking a stay on the Madurai Bench order.

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