The long-standing dispute over lighting the Karthigai Deepam atop Thiruparankundram hill—one of Tamil Nadu’s six abodes (Aarupadai Veedu) of Lord Subramanya—reached a decisive turning point when the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court delivered a landmark order permitting the lamp to be lit on the ancient stone pillar (Deepathoon / kal thoon) located on the hill. The legal battle stemmed from conflicting claims over territorial rights and differing interpretations of religious custom regarding the annual Deepam ritual. This decades long dispute over lighting the Deepathoon having been over,the devotees will light the Karthigai deepam tonite or tomorrow with police protection.
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| Tirupparankundram hill,Madurai,TN opindia.com |
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| Thiruparankundram hill,Madurai thehindu.com |
Above image:Honorable justice observed, 'Deepathoon is located at a lower peak at a distance of not less than 50 metres from the mosque. It is in the unoccupied portion and belongs exclusively to the temple'. The court was hearing petitions for a direction to the temple management to light the Karthigai Deepam on the Deepathoon located at one of the peaks of the Thiruparankundram hill.......
Traditionally, Tamil culture holds that the Karthi gai Deepam is lit at elevated places, especially hilltops, symbolising the divine light of Shiva and Murugan. Petitioners argued that the Deepathoon—an age-old stone pillar standing on the lower peak of Thiruparankundram hill—was historically intended for lighting the sacred flame. However, in recent years, the temple administration had been lighting the Deepam only at the Deepa Mandapam near the Uchipillaiyar temple, following objections raised by the trustees of the adjacent Sikandar Badusha Dargah situated on the hill’s higher peak.
The executive officer (EO) of the Subramaniya Swamy Temple decided to continue lighting the Deepam at the usual spot, triggering a challenge from devotees including petitioner Rama Ravikumar. Opposing parties, including the TN Waqf Board and representatives of the dargah, supported the EO's decision, claiming that lighting the Deepam near the dargah could affect the sanctity and peace of the Muslim site.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan rejected these objections, emphasising that lighting the lamp at Deepathoon neither infringes the rights of the dargah nor disturbs its activities. Crucially, the court relied on a 1923 civil court decree—upheld by the Privy Council—which clearly established that the Muslim community had title only over three specific areas: the Nellithope region, the steps leading to the mosque, and the immediate site of the mosque itself. The rest of the hill, including the Deepathoon, belonged to the Hindu devasthanam. The judge noted that while the mosque is on the higher of the two peaks, the Deepathoon is at least 50 metres away on the lower peak and lies within temple property.
The court further observed that the temple must assert its title over unoccupied portions of the hill in light of past attempts by mosque trustees to encroach upon temple land. Lighting the Deepam at Deepathoon was therefore not merely a matter of custom but an assertion of established legal rights.
Directing the temple trustees—not the executive officer—to decide the ritual’s conduct, the court ordered that the Karthigai Deepam be lit at Deepathoon as well as the usual locations, with police protection to ensure compliance. The judgment reaffirmed both religious tradition and long-settled property rights, marking a significant moment in preserving the cultural heritage of the ancient Thiruparankundram hill temple.
