The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has urged authorities to conduct a symbolic puja at the hilltop Deepathoon pillar in Thirupparankundram, even as it continues to hear contempt proceedings over the alleged failure to implement its earlier orders on lighting the Karthigai Deepam lamp.

While hearing the petitions, the bench of Justice G.R. Swaminathan suggested allowing five persons nominated by the court to visit the hilltop pillar and offer symbolic prayers, noting that such a step could reflect the authorities’ sincerity in implementing the court’s directions.

The suggestion came after the Madurai District Collector submitted an additional affidavit stating that the prohibitory orders issued on December 3 were meant only to facilitate the execution of the court’s order and enable the temple administration to implement the direction in a controlled manner.

The court observed that the sincerity of that explanation would be evident if authorities now allowed the symbolic prayers at the hilltop pillar.

The temple administration, represented by senior counsel, told the Madras High Court that it would first place the suggestion before the temple trustees and seek approval from the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, which oversees the temple’s functioning.

The contempt petitions arise from allegations that officials and temple authorities failed to implement earlier directions to light a lamp at the Deepathoon pillar atop the Thirupparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple during the Karthigai Deepam festival.

During the hearing, counsel for senior police officials raised a preliminary objection, arguing that the original order of the single judge had merged with the ruling of a division bench that later heard the appeals, and therefore the contempt proceedings were not maintainable before the single judge.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan rejected the argument, referring to a recent ruling of the Supreme Court of India which held that contempt jurisdiction remains independent of the doctrine of merger and that a High Court can still examine violations of its own orders.

The court also observed that the division bench had confirmed the direction to light the lamp at the Deepathoon pillar, indicating that the original order continued to remain valid.

The state, however, maintained that the division bench had directed the lamp to be lit at the hilltop pillar from the next Karthigai Deepam festival, and therefore questions of compliance would arise only when the festival takes place next year.

The contempt proceedings stem from events following the earlier court directions, when authorities cited law-and-order concerns and imposed prohibitory restrictions that prevented devotees from lighting the lamp. Even after those restrictions were challenged in court, the issue of implementing the directions led to the filing of contempt petitions.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan cautioned that if a satisfactory response is not received, the court may frame charges against officials and temple authorities and proceed with the contempt inquiry on a day-to-day basis.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, MPs from the INDIA bloc have initiated impeachment proceedings against Justice G. R. Swaminathan, citing several reasons, while maintaining that the move is unrelated to the Thirupparankundram case.