A view of Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai. File
| Photo Credit: R. Ashok
Tamil Nadu Minister for Natural Resources S. Regupathy, on Tuesday (January 6, 2026), said the Tamil Nadu government will prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the orders passed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on lighting of a lamp at a stone pillar near a dargah on the Thirupparankundram hill.
Earlier in the day, the Division Bench upheld last month’s order of Justice G.R. Swaminathan, directing the Subramaniya Swamy Temple management in Thirupparankundram to light the Karthigai Deepam at the ‘deepathoon’ (stone pillar) atop the hill, besides the usual places.
Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat in Chennai, Mr. Regupathy termed the order as “against law.” According to him, the court should have examined whether there was any historical precedent for lighting a lamp atop the ‘deepathoon.’ He said there was no evidence to show that such a practice had ever existed, at least in the last 100 years.
The Minister claimed initiating such a practice through a court order carried a “hidden agenda.” He repeatedly asserted that the stone pillar atop Thirupparankundram hill was not a ‘deepathoon’ and said the culture and traditions of the people of Tamil Nadu should be preserved.
Drawing an analogy, Mr. Regupathy said “If there was a customary practice in villages of cremating bodies only at cremation grounds, they would be cremated only there and nowhere else. Similarly, long-standing customs should not be altered.”
On EPS’ memorandum to Governor
He also dismissed allegations raised by AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami in a memorandum submitted to Governor R.N. Ravi, regarding alleged scams attributed to Ministers in the DMK government.
Published – January 06, 2026 04:43 pm IST
