Supreme Court Upholds Namaz Restrictions at Thirupparankundram Hill, Verdict Seen as Major Win for Hindu Side.

Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | New Delhi | Feb 9, 2026:: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Madras High Court’s ruling restricting the offering of namaz at the dargah located on Thirupparankundram Hill in Tamil Nadu, declining to interfere with what it described as a “balanced order”. The apex court’s decision allows the existing limitations on religious practices at the disputed site to continue, a development widely viewed as a significant legal victory for Hindu stakeholders and a setback to repeated attempts to alter long-standing worship practices at the hill.

With the ruling, Muslims will be permitted to offer namaz at the dargah only on the occasions of Ramzan and Bakrid, as earlier directed by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. The Supreme Court also upheld the prohibition on animal sacrifice within the premises.

The Supreme Court verdict came while dismissing an appeal filed by Imam Hussain, a practising Muslim cleric, who had challenged the Madras High Court’s order before the apex court. Imam Hussain had sought permission for the unrestricted and daily offering of namaz at the dargah on Thirupparankundram Hill, arguing that the High Court-imposed limitations were unjustified. The Supreme Court, however, rejected his plea, upheld the High Court’s restrictions, and declined to interfere with what it termed a “balanced order”.

Long-Running Thirupparankundram Dispute

The case stems from the prolonged Thirupparankundram Deepam row, a sensitive dispute involving competing religious claims over practices at Thirupparankundram Hill, a site revered by multiple communities. The hill is home to the ancient Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple and also houses a dargah, leading to overlapping assertions regarding access, prayer rights, and ritual observances.

Over the years, tensions have surfaced over the lighting of the ceremonial Karthigai Deepam at the ‘Deepathoon’—an ancient  stone pillar on the hilltop—as well as over the frequency and nature of namaz offered at the dargah. Citing concerns over public order and communal harmony, the Madras High Court had earlier framed restrictions aimed at preserving peace while recognising established religious practices.

Supreme Court’s Observations

While hearing the appeal, the Supreme Court noted that the High Court had carefully attempted to balance religious freedoms with administrative and law-and-order considerations. When the appellant argued that there were no law-and-order issues justifying the restrictions, the apex court questioned why a Peace Committee meeting had been convened if no underlying tensions existed. This observation weighed against the plea seeking unrestricted prayer access.

By refusing to disturb the High Court’s directions, the Supreme Court effectively maintained the status quo, reinforcing that daily namaz at the dargah cannot be permitted and that prayers will remain limited to Ramzan and Bakrid.

Plea on Karthigai Deepam and Temple Rights

In a connected matter, a separate plea was filed before the Supreme Court challenging another Madras High Court order that allowed the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam on Thirupparankundram Hill subject to clearances from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the police.

The petitioner, Rama Ravikumar, argued that the High Court’s directions amounted to an “unlawful dilution” of binding civil court decrees that had conclusively recognised the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple’s ownership and control over the hill. He contended that lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (traditional stone pillar) is an essential and internal religious practice of the temple and cannot be made conditional on administrative permissions in the absence of a clear legislative mandate.

Ravikumar further submitted that the High Court had exceeded its jurisdiction by imposing fresh substantive restrictions despite the existence of a final decree affirming the temple’s proprietary rights. He also alleged hostile discrimination, claiming that while devotees of another faith were allowed access and usage rights up to the Nellithope area, Hindu worship at the hilltop was subjected to layered administrative controls without authority of law.

Verdict Viewed as Major Hindu Victory

Hindu organisations and devotees have welcomed the Supreme Court’s refusal to interfere, viewing it as a decisive judicial endorsement of traditional Hindu religious rights at Thirupparankundram Hill. By dismissing the appeal seeking unrestricted prayer access, the apex court has effectively rebuffed repeated legal challenges that Hindu petitioners argue were aimed at incrementally curbing or redefining long-established temple practices.

The court’s affirmation of the High Court’s “balanced order” has reinforced the principle that centuries-old Hindu customs and temple rights cannot be overridden through sustained litigation unless supported by clear legal or historical evidence.

What next?

With the Supreme Court upholding the Madras High Court’s verdict on both the namaz restrictions and the Deepam-related directions, the legal framework governing religious practices at Thirupparankundram Hill remains firmly in place. For Hindu stakeholders, the ruling represents not only a courtroom success but also a clear defeat of repeated efforts to curtail traditional Hindu worship, reaffirming temple ownership, historical usage, and constitutional protection of religious practices at one of Tamil Nadu’s most sensitive sacred sites.

The verdict now places the onus squarely on the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government to demonstrate its commitment to constitutional propriety and judicial discipline by faithfully implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensuring that the traditional Karthigai Deepam ritual at the Deepathoon is carried out without obstruction or delay.
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_Agency Inputs. _Video Cortesy: CNN-New18 and India Today.