The Madras High Court has upheld a direction permitting the lighting of a ceremonial lamp on the Deepathoon stone pillar atop Thirupparankundram hill, holding that the site belongs to the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple and that the ritual must be carried out under regulated conditions, a ruling that settles a long-running dispute with significant religious and administrative implications.
The case arose from objections raised against the practice of lighting a lamp on the Deepathoon during the Karthigai Deepam festival, with the State questioning the historical basis of the ritual and expressing concerns over monument protection. The controversy centred on whether the location fell within the exclusive control of the temple or whether restrictions under heritage protection laws barred such religious observance, prompting judicial scrutiny of ownership, customary practice, and regulatory oversight.
A Division Bench of Justice G. Jayachandran and Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan ruled that the Deepathoon site forms part of the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple and directed that the lamp be lit by the temple administration itself, while ensuring monument protection. Emphasising regulatory balance, the Bench observed that “in addition to the prohibitions and restrictions as found in the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Acts and Rules, ASI shall impose conditions appropriate and necessary to preserve the monuments in the hill.”
The Court ordered that only a limited temple team, without public participation, may perform the ritual during the Karthigai Deepam festival, with the District Collector coordinating the event in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India and the police.
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