SC upholds order restricting Muslim prayers at Thiruparankundram Hill
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The Supreme Court on Monday chose not to interfere with a Madras High Court ruling that placed restrictions on Muslim prayer practices at the Sultan Sikandar Badushah Auliya Dargah on Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai, according to Bar & Bench.
In an order passed in October 2025, the High Court had prohibited the consumption of meat on the hill and limited prayers at the Nellithoppu area—a 33-cent plot belonging to the Dargah—to the occasions of Ramzan and Bakri-Id.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale was hearing an appeal filed by devotee M. Imam Hussain, who had challenged the High Court’s decision, Maktoob Media reported.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Prashanth Bhushan argued that there was no history of law and order issues at the site, and therefore no justification for imposing such restrictions, LiveLaw reported. He took particular objection to the High Court’s use of the term that effectively confined prayers at Nellithoppu to just two festivals.
Bhushan also pointed out that the Nellithoppu land had been declared Muslim property by a trial court, a finding later upheld by the Privy Council and acknowledged by the High Court itself. Despite this, he contended, the court had still imposed limits on religious practices at the site.
The Supreme Court, however, noted that the convening of a peace committee meeting indicated the presence of law and order concerns. The meeting had been called by the Revenue Divisional Officer on January 30 after police stopped pilgrims from accessing the hill for worship and animal sacrifice.
Declining to intervene, the bench said it would not interfere with the High Court’s order and clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the substantive rights of the parties, allowing the impugned judgment to stand.
Thiruparankundram hill is known as a multi-faith religious site, housing not only the Sufi dargah but also the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swami Temple, the Kasi Viswanathar Temple, and ancient Jain caves and rock formations. The hill had previously been in the spotlight during a controversy linked to Karthigai Deepam celebrations in December.