MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Thursday reserved its orders after hearing a batch of pleas against a single judge order, which allowed lighting of lamp on Deepathoon (stone pillar) atop Tiruparankundram hill in Madurai.
The single judge in his order permitted petitioner Rama Ravikumar and directed the temple devasthanam to light a lamp at Deepathoon during the Karthigai festival on December 1.
Advocate General PS Raman, who delivered closing arguments in the case, which entered into its fifth consecutive day of hearing, said there is no evidence to prove the existence of any Deepathoon at the hilltop of Tiruparankundram.
It was not evident when the pillar (Deepathoon) came into existence, and no proof was provided to substantiate the petitioner’s claim.
Further, the Advocate General stated that the hilltop has remained in existence for over a hundred years and the devotees maintain the tradition of lighting a lamp at Uchi Pillaiyar temple, considering it as the right place to perform their ritual.
But now, after long years, the petitioner should not seek another new place for this age-old ritual. A ruling in 1920 said the District Judge inspected Thiruparankundram hill and recorded that the dargah was the only structure on top of the hill.
As for temple-related activities, the HR&CE has empowered the Executive Officer to act upon.
As per the HR&CE Act, which provides a four-tier remedy, the Joint Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner could only decide on which activities to engage in the temple. But the petitioner moved the High Court.
As far as the issue is concerned, the state government did not act out of bias, but to ensure people, irrespective of religion, live together in peace and harmony.
Senior advocate Mohan, on behalf of the dargah, said the single judge's order was unacceptable and added that the case should be tried in a civil court for a solution.
Another senior advocate, Valliappan, the petitioner’s counsel, said there was a custom of lighting a lamp at the dargah also, and all parties maintained the ritual still.
The counsel then said the custom remains in practice and questioned the partiality in lighting the lamp at Deepathoon. The temple management is also trying to hide Deepathoon, the counsel said.
A division bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan, after hearing, reserved orders.