On 3 March 2025, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court directed all parties involved in the case related to Thiruparankundram Hill to submit their written responses by 24 March 2025.
A public interest litigation was filed by Kannan and others from Madurai, seeking a ban on the sacrifice of goats and roosters at the sacred Thiruparankundram Hilltop Dargah in Madurai. The Thiruparankundram temple, dating back to the Pandya period, is a significant landmark, housing the Umayandar Cave Temple and 11 other sacred ponds. According to existing regulations, animal sacrifices are prohibited within the temple grounds.
Recent reports suggested that the Muslim fundamentalists attempted to carry goats and roosters to perform sacrifices at the Sikkandar Dargah atop Thiruparankundram Hill in January 2025. The petitions argued that such sacrifices would hurt the sentiments of devotees visiting the Thiruparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple. The petitioners also sought a ban on the slaughtering, cooking, and serving of animal meat on the hill.
In addition, the petitioners requested that Thiruparankundram Hill be placed under the jurisdiction of the Central Government’s Archaeological Survey of India. They also raised concerns about the hill being referred to as Sikandar Hill and sought official recognition of the hill as Jain Hills. Other petitions included calls for better basic facilities on the hill, preventing police interference with the renovation of the Sikandar Dargah, and halting Muslims from offering prayers in the Nellithope area.
The case was heard by Justices Nisha Banu and Srimathi. The lawyer representing the Archaeological Department noted that while permission had been requested from the Collector to survey the Thiruparankundram Hill, it had not yet been granted. The judges adjourned the hearing until 24 March 2025, directing all parties to submit their responses. They also indicated that a decision on the use of drones for measuring the area would be made at that time.
Backdrop
In January 2025, the sacred Hindu site of Thirupparankundram Hills witnessed escalating tensions, sparked by controversial actions by a Muslim politician that fueled divisive rhetoric. Navas Kani, a member of the Indian Union Muslim League and MP from Ramanathapuram, who also served as the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, stirred further discord by declaring that the dargah atop the hill was Waqf property. He also posted on social media, claiming that Muslims had consumed cooked non-vegetarian food at the foothills, which outraged Hindus and devotees. This statement sent shockwaves through the region, further escalating existing tensions.
This development is part of a series of incidents that have strained relations between Hindus and Muslims, who had previously lived in harmony. Some Islamists groups have been attempting to assert their rights to conduct animal sacrifices at the hilltop, furthering their claims that the entire Thirupparankundram Hills should be recognized as Sikkandar Hills.
The situation escalated on 27 December 2024, when Madurai police intervened to detain a group of Muslims family attempting to bring goats and roosters to the hilltop dargah for ritual sacrifice. Syed Abu Dahir, a 53-year-old from Malaiyadipatti in Rajapalayam, arrived with his family and animals for the ceremony but was stopped by authorities at the base of the hill. Police informed them that bringing livestock up the hill was prohibited, which led to a protest by over 20 local Muslims at the foot of the hill in solidarity with the family.
The following week, on 5 January 2025, another large group of Muslim protesters gathered at Thirupparankundram Hills, demanding permission to offer prayers at the mosque located at the top. When the police denied their request, tensions escalated, leading to a brief scuffle and the detention of the protesters.
On 17 January 2025, during the Santhanakoodu Festival at a nearby dargah, social media posts began circulating about an upcoming “Equality Feast” (Samabanthi Bhojan) on 18 January at the hilltop dargah, where goats and roosters were allegedly to be sacrificed. Fearing communal unrest, police set up barricades and conducted searches to prevent the transportation of livestock to the hill. When the dargah Jamath was informed that animal sacrifices were not allowed, protests broke out. Members of the Jamath, along with other Muslim protesters, clashed with the police, causing further disruptions.
The situation was exacerbated by the involvement of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), an ally of AIADMK and a group linked to the banned terror outfit PFI. These elements are believed to be behind the attempts to conduct animal sacrifices at the sacred Thirupparankundram Hill.
Furthering tensions, on 21 January 2025, DMK Manapparai MLA Abdul Samad was accused of conducting an illegal survey around the temple with intentions to gain control of the hill. On the same day, IUML member and Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani was seen giving an interview near the Thirupparankundram Hills. When asked whether the dargah at the hilltop was under the Waqf Board, Kani confirmed, “Yes, it is under the control of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board,” further heightening tensions in the area.
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