The Madras High Court upheld the order of Justice G.R. Swaminathan which directed the Subramaniya Swamy Temple management in Madurai of Tamil Nadu to light the Karthigai Deepam at a stone pillar, identified as Deepathoon, atop the ancient stone pillar over the iconic Thiruparankundram hill, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan. The order was delivered by a division bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan on January 06, 2026. The court expressed disapproval of the DMK government for its refusal to allow the ritual to be conducted on a designated day annually, which they said would cause public disturbance. The Tamil Nadu government has said it will now challenge the order in the Supreme Court.
A 13th-century Sufi shrine, the Sikandar Badusha Dargah is also situated on the hill, which makes the site historically important to multiple faiths.
What was the dispute?
In 2025, a petitioner sought to light the lamp atop ‘Deepathoon’, a stone pillar and a spot near the dargah. The Karthigai Deepam lamp is lit at established temple spots during the festival. Many people and authorities including the Tamil Nadu government and other parties opposed this stating lack of historical backing and possible law-and-order issues due to the proximity of different religious spaces.
On December 01, 2025, a single judge of the Madras High Court, Justice GR Swaminathan, passed an order permitting the Karthigai Deepam to be lit at the Deepathoon. As per the order of the court, the pillar lay within temple land and allowing the ritual on a single day in a year would not infringe upon the rights of any other community.
