'Thiruparankundram pillar is Jain, not Hindu': Tamil Nadu govt tells HC; cites archaeological texts and Digambara practices

MADURAI: The stone pillar situated atop Thiruparankundram hill near Madurai was built by Jain saints and does not belong to Hindus, Tamil Nadu govt told Madras high court on Monday, quoting books by archaeologists.

There are similar pillars on other hills in Madurai district, including one at Samanar hills — an ancient Jain heritage site in Keelakuyilkudi — and at Shravanabelagola, a Jain pilgrimage site in Karnataka, the senior counsel for the joint commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department said.

Quoting books, the counsel said Jains from Ujjain in MP came to Karnataka and then to Madurai. Saints of the ‘Digambara’ sect used to live on the hills, and they used the pillars to light the lamps when they congregated during night hours, he submitted before a division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan.

The bench is hearing a batch of appeals challenging a single judge’s order directing the Subramaniya Swamy temple management to light Karthigai Deepam at Deepathoon (stone lamp post) on one of the peaks of Thiruparankundram hill.

The counsel representing Sikandar Badusha dargah located atop the hill argued that earlier, a division bench had ruled against animal sacrifice in the area, directing that the dargah should go before a civil court to establish its custom on animal sacrifice. However, when the present petitioners moved the same court to light the Karthigai Deepam at the pillar, the single judge ruled in their favour, even though it is not established that the pillar is a Deepathoon (lamp post). The claim should be proved before a civil court, like the high court ordered in case of dargah’s right to animal sacrifice, the counsel contended.

Local Hindu and Muslim residents never had any issues, and outsiders with vested interest were trying to stir the communal pot, the dargah’s counsel submitted.

The hearing in the matter will continue on Tuesday.