An interlocutory application has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the deployment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at Thirupparankundram in Madurai ahead of this year’s Karthigai Deepam festival on November 24, citing concerns over the safety of devotees and the maintenance of law and order, as reported in Nakkheeran.
The application was filed by K.K. Ramesh of Madurai in connection with the ongoing legal dispute over lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the stone lamp pillar atop the Thirupparankundram hill.
The applicant has requested the Supreme Court to direct the deployment of CRPF personnel at the hill to ensure adequate security for the large number of devotees expected to visit the site for the festival. He has also urged the authorities to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order.
The dispute dates back to December 2025, when a single judge of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, Justice G.R. Swaminathan, on 1 December 2025, ordered that the Karthigai Deepam be lit at the ancient stone lamp pillar atop Thirupparankundram hill.
However, on December 3, the day of the festival, the lamp was lit near the Pillaiyar Temple instead of at the hilltop pillar, triggering protests by Hindu organisations. Protesters engaged in heated arguments with the police, and clashes involving pushing and jostling between the two sides created tension in the area.
Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu government and the temple administration approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, challenging Justice Swaminathan’s order.
Hearing the appeals, a Division Bench upheld the single judge’s direction, ruling that the temple administration must light the lamp at the pillar atop the hill. The court also directed that the ritual be performed every Karthigai Deepam festival.
Noting that the entire hill falls under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Bench directed the temple administration to light the lamp in accordance with the ASI’s instructions. The appeals filed by the State government and other parties were accordingly disposed of.
The Tamil Nadu government subsequently challenged the Division Bench’s ruling before the Supreme Court, where proceedings in the matter are currently underway.
Against this backdrop, K.K. Ramesh has approached the Supreme Court seeking central force deployment ahead of the November 24 festival. The application is expected to come up for hearing shortly.
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