The Madras High Court has once again asked the Tamil Nadu government to clarify why it repeatedly failed to permit the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam lamp atop the Deepathoon, an ancient stone pillar on Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai. This comes even as the Supreme Court agreed to consider the state government&rsquo;s challenge to the High Court&rsquo;s orders.
Despite the festival being over, tensions continue to rise. Tamil Nadu Police registered a case against 113 individuals, including BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, senior leader H Raja, and six women, for participating in a protest on December 4 in support of the lamp-lighting ceremony.
The issue turned into a major flashpoint after authorities denied permission despite multiple High Court directions. The DMK government has approached the Supreme Court, seeking urgent relief from the order that allowed devotees to light the lamp. The Chief Justice of India has asked the state to get its petition formally listed.
At the Madurai bench, Justice G R Swaminathan reviewed a contempt petition against the district administration and police after reports that devotees were blocked from reaching the hill on December 4, despite clear judicial instructions. Lawyers for the petitioners claimed that police detained more than 300 devotees, citing extended prohibitory orders and the state&rsquo;s decision to move the Supreme Court.
Justice Swaminathan instructed the state to file a detailed report and asked the CISF commandant, who had accompanied the devotees following earlier directions, to submit an account of the obstruction they had faced.
State representatives argued that compliance was not possible due to ground conditions, denying any deliberate disobedience. They confirmed that both the state and the Madurai police had appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court&rsquo;s earlier order. The contempt hearing has been adjourned to December 9.
Thiruparankundram hill, home to the Subramaniya Swamy temple, Kasi Viswanathan temple, and the Sikkander Badusha dargah, has traditionally remained peaceful. However, the region became sensitive earlier this year after a protest over individuals consuming meat on the hillock. With the 2026 assembly elections approaching, the dispute has taken on sharper political and religious undertones.
The petition to light the lamp, filed by a group of devotees, intensified the controversy. Justice Swaminathan allowed the ritual on December 1, calling it a cultural tradition of Tamil society. The state opposed the move, citing law-and-order risks and the hill&rsquo;s proximity to a dargah. On December 3, the judge struck down the district administration&rsquo;s prohibitory order, calling it an attempt to bypass the court&rsquo;s direction. A Division Bench later upheld his ruling.
However, the administration continued to block access, resulting in protests by BJP leaders, religious organisations, and the detention of several hundred devotees.
Chief Minister MK Stalin responded indirectly to the controversy, highlighting development priorities such as Metro Rail, AIIMS, and new industries for Madurai. He said that the people would decide whether they preferred developmental progress or political confrontation.

TN faces legal and political friction as lamp-lighting dispute intensifies in Madurai

Karthigai Deepam Row Escalates in Tamil Nadu

TN faces legal and political friction as lamp-lighting dispute intensifies in Madurai

December 6, 2025 | 16:19 IST