HC suggestion on Thiruparankundram deepam; board seeks time

Madurai: The board of trustees of Subramaniya Swamy temple in Thiruparankundram informed the Madras high court on Wednesday that the court's suggestion to permit five persons to offer symbolic prayers (not lighting of a lamp) to the deepathoon atop Thiruparankundram hill needed to be deliberated, and that a careful decision must be taken after consulting the Hindu religious and charitable endowment (HR and CE) department.Following this, justice G R Swaminathan posted the matter to March 18. The judge also dispensed with the appearance of the board of trustees.During the previous hearing, Madurai district collector K J Praveen Kumar filed an additional affidavit stating, "One factor that I kept in mind was that the temple management would be enabled to implement the court order only if there is no law and order situation in the hillock area. The prohibition issued under Section 163 of BNSS, 2023 definitely did not contemplate hindrance to temple officials lighting the lamp in accordance with the judgment of the high court dated December 1, 2025."The judge observed that the fact remained that, on account of the prohibitory order passed by the collector, the order passed by the court was frustrated. "I suggest that respect to the order passed by this court can be shown by permitting a group of exactly five persons, to be named by this court, to go to the lower peak of the hillock where the deepathoon lies so that symbolic prayers can be offered. I further indicate that this entire exercise can be confined to 15 minutes. This is only a suggestion and not a direction," the judge observed.The court was hearing contempt petitions filed over non-compliance of an earlier order directing the lighting of Karthigai deepam at the deepathoon.