Overview
- Justice G. R. Swaminathan directed the Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light the festival lamp at the Deepathoon starting this year in addition to the usual locations.
- The court held that Deepathoon sits on a lower peak about 50 metres from the Dargah and does not fall within the area belonging to the mosque or its trustees.
- Citing a 1923 decree and related historic rulings, the court reaffirmed temple title over unoccupied portions of Tirupparankundram Hill, excluding the steps, Nellithope area, and the mosque rock top.
- Objections invoking lack of custom, locus standi, a 2014 reference, and the Places of Worship Act were rejected, with the court calling lamp lighting a sacred act that does not infringe Muslim rights.
- The order instructs jurisdictional police, including the Madurai City Commissioner, to ensure compliance and prevent interference, while admonishing the temple management to protect property and restore traditions.