SC refuses to intervene with Madras HC order on Thirupparankundram Karthigai Deepam

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 9) declined to interfere with a Madras High Court order permitting the lighting of the annual Karthigai Deepam at the Thiruparankundram hills in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, calling it "very balanced". The religious dispute has acquired political overtones in the state, which will head to elections in a few months.

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A bench of the apex court comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale said: "Without expressing any opinion on rights of the parties, the impugned order stands upheld.”

The petition that came up before the Supreme Court challenged an October 2025 order of the Madras HC, which had also observed that animal sacrifice could not be allowed in the area.

M Imam Hussain, a worshipper at the dargah atop the hill, challenged the order. His lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, claimed there has never been a law-and-order problem in the area, as he raised objections to the limitations imposed on Muslims wishing to pray at the shrine.

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But the apex court did not agree to intervene.

Restrictions on religious practices

The high court last year had ruled that Muslims have no right to offer prayers at the Nellithoppu site near the Deepathoon, except during festivals such as Ramzan and Bakrid. The land, measuring around 33 cents, is owned by the Sikkandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah.

It had also prohibited animal sacrifice and the serving of non-vegetarian food in the area, citing the protected status of the hill and the need to comply with applicable laws.

Dispute rooted in history

Thiruparankundram hill holds layered religious significance, housing one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, alongside historical Jain caves and the Sikkandar Badusha Dargah (which dates back to the 14th century). For decades, rituals associated with the temple and the dargah coexisted in proximity.

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The current dispute centres on whether the Karthigai Deepam should be lit at the hilltop Deepathoon, near the Dargah premises, or confined to the traditional location in Uchipillaiyar Mandapam lower down the hill.

Political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu

While earlier courts had declined to alter established practice, a fresh petition in 2024 cited a Privy Council decree from the 1920s recognising temple ownership of the hill. This led to renewed legal scrutiny, administrative concerns over law and order, and a political clash between Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.