Court Allows Karthigai Deepam at Deepathoon

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday supported an earlier order that allows the Subramaniya Swamy Temple authorities to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon, a stone pillar located on one of the peaks of the Thiruparankundram hill.

A division bench agreed with the earlier ruling given by Justice G.R. Swaminathan. He had said that the ceremonial lamp for the Karthigai Deepam festival can be lit at the Deepathoon, in addition to the other traditional places where the lamp is usually lit.

The court said that lighting the lamp at the Deepathoon does not break any religious customs or traditions. It also stated that the temple management has the right to carry out this ritual as part of the festival.

Karthigai Deepam is an important Hindu festival in Tamil Nadu. People celebrate it by lighting lamps at temples and in their homes. At Thiruparankundram, the festival attracts a large number of devotees every year.

With this decision, the temple authorities can now make preparations to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon without any legal problems. The court’s ruling has cleared all doubts and ended the dispute over lighting the lamp at the hilltop pillar.