New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court that the stone pillar on Thirupparankundram hill, which has recently become the centre of a controversy involving Hindutva groups, was established by the Jain community and does not belong to the Hindu tradition.
Appearing for the Joint Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Senior Advocate N. Jothi told the court that the pillar was of Jain origin and that similar structures could be found elsewhere in the region. He referred to comparable pillars at Samanar Hills near Keelakuyilkudi in Madurai district and at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka, according to The Hindu.
The state government further submitted that members of the Digambara sect of Jainism, who had migrated from Ujjain in present-day Madhya Pradesh to Madurai, once lived on the Thirupparankundram hills and used the stone pillar to light lamps during their congregations.
It clarified that the pillar was not associated with the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam, which, the government said, traditionally takes place at the mandapam of the Uchipillaiyar temple. The state added that any attempt to alter the nature or historical character of the pillar should not be allowed, The Hindu reported, The Wire reported.
The submissions were made before a division bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan, which was hearing appeals against an earlier order by Justice G.R. Swaminathan. In that order, Justice Swaminathan had directed the Subramaniya Swamy temple administration to light the Karthigai Deepam at the deepathoon, in addition to the customary locations, along with related directions.
Meanwhile, on December 9, members of the INDIA bloc submitted an impeachment notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the removal of Justice Swaminathan. The notice stated that his conduct raised concerns about judicial impartiality, transparency and adherence to secular principles. Filed under Article 217 of the Constitution and related provisions, it accused the judge of deciding cases based on a particular political ideology, in violation of the secular ethos expected of the judiciary.
Traditionally, Tamil Hindus light lamps every year during Karthigai Deepam on the hillock behind the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swami Temple at Thirupparankundram, a practice followed for generations. However, this year, right-wing organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders demanded that the lamp be lit not at the customary spot near the Uchipillaiyar Temple, but on a pillar located near the Hazarath Sultan Sikandar Badhusha Avuliya Dargah on the same hill.
The Sikandar Dargah at Thirupparankundram has long been a flashpoint for right-wing efforts to provoke religious tensions, with legal disputes over the site dating back to the early 19th century.