TN hilltop temple lamp lighting gets HC nod
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld a single judge’s order allowing the lighting of a lamp on the Thirupparankundram hill, and slammed the State Government, calling “ridiculous” its claim that lighting of the lamp will disrupt public peace. A Division Bench of Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan delivered the judgment, clarifying that the spot where the stone pillar is located belongs to the temple.
The appellants failed to produce “formidable evidence” to show that Agama Sastra of Saivites prohibits lighting the lamp at a place, which is not straight on top of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum, the court observed. “... Nor is it the case of the management or the Government that lighting lamp is not a custom prevailing in Thiruparankundram Hill,” said the Division Bench, upholding Justice GR Swaminathan’s Order.
Last month, Justice Swaminathan allowed the petition filed by Rama Ravikumar to light the lamp in the temple hills, near a Dargha.
“It is ridiculous and hard to believe the fear of the mighty State that by allowing representatives of the Devasthanam to light the lamp at the stone pillar near the top of the hill located within its territory of Devasthanam land, on a particular day in a year, will cause disturbance to public peace. Of course, it may happen only if such a disturbance is sponsored by the State itself. We pray no State should stoop to that level to achieve their political agenda,” the bench said.
Advocate MR Venkatesh argued for the petitioner. After this judgment, Opposition parties led by Congress and DMK filed Impeachment against Justice Swaminathan in Lok Sabha for “violating secularist principles”. Justice Swaminathan initiated contempt charges against the officials for not adheraing his orders in lighting lamp in the temple hills.
The Tamil Nadu Government indicated moving the Supreme Court in appeal against the order. In its order, the HC bench said the Devasthanam must light the lamp at the Deepathoon. The BJP hailed the judgment and said it was a slap on the face of the DMK regime.
