HC seeks details of regulation for Maha Pushkar

Justice R Mahadevan before whom the plea moved by Pulavar V Mahadevan challenging the ban on bathing at Padithurai and Kurukkuthurai, came up for hearing on Thursday, said the State has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the devotees and based on that certain decisions are made and hence ought to be accepted. 

The State is not going to gain anything by stopping people from having a holy dip. 

However, if some mishap happens the State would be blamed, he added.

However, following submission by Additional Advocate General S R Rajagopal that the State is bound to regulate the crowd by allowing people in groups to have a dip, Justice Mahadevan posted the plea for further hearing to October 8 after directing the State to submit a plan demarcating the places where the ban on taking the dip will be in vogue.

The petitioner had contended that denial of worship during the festival is a direct attack on the religious faith and right. “The total denial of access to Thaipoosa Padithurai for Pushkaram celebration for the reason that lakhs of people cannot take bath at a time is not proper,” he said.

It is said that while Thamirabarani Pushkaram is usually celebrated once in 12 years during ‘Guru Peyarchi (transit of planet Jupiter from one zodiac sign to another), the Maha Pushkaram is celebrated once in 144 years and this time it is said to be the Maha Pushkaram and hence large number of devotees are expected to throng the Thamirabarani.