Tamil Nadu government officials have approached the Supreme Court challenging a recent Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) ruling that allowed devotees of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light the Karthigai Deepam lamp at the Deepathoon pillar located near the Thiruparankundram hill dargah.
The State’s move comes after a division bench of the High Court refused to interfere with a single-judge order issued on December 2, 2025. That order permitted the traditional lamp-lighting ritual and directed the district administration and police to provide necessary security, including assistance from the CISF, while also nullifying earlier restrictions imposed in the area.
Despite these directions, authorities reportedly prevented devotees from reaching the hilltop, and several individuals attempting to perform the ritual were detained. This led to contempt proceedings against the district collector and police commissioner, both of whom are now petitioners before the Supreme Court.
According to reports, the special leave petition was filed and registered late in the evening on the same day. The State has sought an urgent stay on the High Court’s directive, arguing that allowing the practice could create law-and-order complications around the sensitive hill area, which houses both the historic temple and the dargah.
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