Supreme Court Questions Tamil Nadu’s Delayed Appeal
The Supreme Court of India has raised concerns regarding the Tamil Nadu government’s delayed appeal against a Madras High Court decision concerning the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepa Thoon on Thiruparankundram Hill, Madurai. This matter [HR & CE v Rama Ravikumar] was brought before a Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi. The Bench inquired why the state had not acted promptly following the High Court’s January 2026 judgment.
Justice Kumar questioned the state’s actions, asking, “If this situation had cropped up in January 2026, when this order came, what were you doing all this time?” In response, the state explained that translating voluminous documents contributed to the delay. Despite this explanation, the Supreme Court demanded responses to the appeal, requiring respondents to file their replies within six weeks, with the state allowed a further two weeks for a rejoinder.
While the Supreme Court did not stay the High Court’s ruling, it addressed the state’s concerns about pending contempt proceedings, suggesting these be mentioned before the relevant Division Bench.
The Dispute’s Origins
The controversy began when devotee Rama Ravikumar, in October 2025, requested permission to light the Deepam at the Deepa Thoon. The temple’s executive officer replied that the festival would be conducted in line with existing practices near the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple. Dissatisfied, Ravikumar and others approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
On December 1, 2025, Justice GR Swaminathan directed the Devasthanam to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepa Thoon alongside customary locations. Justice Swaminathan argued that this practice would honor Tamil traditions and periodically reaffirm the temple’s property rights.
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High Court’s Division Bench Ruling
On January 6, a Division Bench, including Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan, upheld the decision, instructing a limited Devasthanam team to light the lamp at the Deepa Thoon. The team composition was to be determined in consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India and the police, without public accompaniment.
Tamil Nadu’s Appeal to the Supreme Court
The HR&CE Department has challenged this January 6 ruling, arguing that the High Court invented a new temple ritual unsupported by historical customs or records. They claimed the Karthigai Deepam has traditionally been lit at the Deepa Mandapam near the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple for over 150 years, not at the Deepa Thoon.
The state contended that a devotee’s right to worship under Article 25 of the Constitution does not include the authority to modify public temple rituals. Moreover, they argued that courts should not interfere with religious institutions’ autonomy regarding rituals and festivals.
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At the Supreme Court, respondents opposed the appeal, accusing the state of filing a special leave petition without pursuing it for seven months. They suggested the current urgency was a result of recent political changes, stating, “The judgment is of December, January. They simply filed an SLP for the sake of it. They did not prosecute it for seven months. And now the State is with so much vehemence trying to push the matter. This is all just optics for what they want.”
Respondents further alleged the state used the pending Supreme Court appeal to delay contempt proceedings before the High Court. The state cautioned that permitting courts to alter religious practices at individual devotees’ requests could set a precarious precedent affecting temples nationwide.
In its appeal, Tamil Nadu argued that the High Court’s direction lacked support from temple records, Agama texts, or any previous decrees. The state attributed the delay in pursuing the appeal to the necessity of translating extensive records.
