SC to Hear Tamil Nadu Plea on Hill Lamp
A two-judge bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi issued notice to the original petitioners, including Rama Ravikumar, and tagged the state’s plea with the pending matter.
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the Madras High Court order permitting the lighting of a ceremonial lamp on Thiruparankundram hill, but declined to stay the order.
A two-judge bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi issued notice to the original petitioners, including Rama Ravikumar, and tagged the state’s plea with the pending matter.
The C. Joseph Vijay-led state government has challenged the January 6 order of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, which upheld a single-judge order dated December 1, 2025, directing that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the festival day.
The high court, while upholding the earlier order, had rejected apprehensions of law and order issues, stating they were an “imaginary ghost” created for convenience.
It had also held that the stone pillar (Deepathoon) is located on land belonging to the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple and that the Waqf Board has no locus in the matter.
“It is ridiculous and hard to believe the fear of the mighty State that by allowing representatives of the Devasthanam to light the lamp at the stone pillar near the top of the hill located within its territory of Devasthanam land, on a particular day in a year, will cause disturbance to public peace,” the high court had said.
“Of course, it may happen only if such a disturbance is sponsored by the State itself. We pray no State should stoop to that level to achieve their political agenda,” it had added.
The case originated from a writ petition filed by Rama Ravikumar and others seeking directions to light the sacred Deepam at the ancient stone pillar on the hill during the annual Karthigai Deepam festival.
On December 1, 2025, the single judge of the High Court allowed the petition and directed that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the festival day.
The then DMK government, along with the temple management and the Hazarath Sultan Sikkandar Badhusha Avuliya Dargah at Thirupparankundram, had filed appeals against the order, raising concerns over public order and potential communal tension due to the proximity of the dargah.