Hindu transgender devotees announced a proposed fast unto death, against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government’s decision to deny permission for lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar) atop the Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai.
Addressing a large gathering in Madurai, the protesters invoked the legendary tale of Kannagi, presenting her as a symbol of resistance against injustice.
“Kannagi had raised her anklet to demand justice after being wronged. Her act remains an enduring example of asserting one’s rights,” said the protesters.
The demonstrators held anklets as part of a symbolic protest, emphasizing that their aim was to register condemnation and demand justice. They questioned the State government’s claims of secularism, alleging unequal treatment of different religious communities.
“Has there ever been a time when Hindus consented to one set of laws for Muslims and another for Hindus?” one speaker asked. Calling for statewide unity, the speakers urged Hindus across Tamil Nadu to mobilise in protest, drawing parallels with the 2017 Jallikattu agitation.
They warned that if the Madurai District Collector failed to act on petitions seeking permission to climb the hill and light the lamp, the agitation would intensify. “We are prepared to fast until death to press our demand,” they declared.
The protestors also underscored Thirupparankundram’s significance as the first of the six abodes of Murugan, questioning the authority of any group or administration to prevent devotees from entering the temple.
“Who are they to say that we should not enter our own temple?” a speaker demanded, reiterating the call for justice.
They again referred to Kannagi’s legend, recalling that during the reign of Nedunchezhiyan Pandiyan, Madurai was said to have been burned after justice was denied to her.
Drawing a parallel, the speaker said the present protest sought justice for Poornachandran and for Hindu devotees seeking to light the Deepam on the hill.
Earlier last week, a 40-year-old man set himself on fire near the the Tallakulam police station in Madurai, after he was allegedly upset over the lack of permission to light a lamp on the stone pillar atop Thiruparankundram hill.
The victim identified as Poorna Chandran, a resident of the Narimedu area succumbed to severe burn injuries shortly after he set himself ablaze.
A few audio clips, reportedly recorded by Chandran before his death, circulated soon after the incident. In the recordings, he stated that he chose to self-immolate near the Periyar statue in the city rather than at Thirupparankundram.
Saravanan, an advocate and friend of Chandran who received the audio clips, said that Chandran was distressed over the authorities’ refusal to allow the lighting of the lamp on the stone pillar, despite the directive from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
“He had sent a voice message to his friend who sent it to me and I got to know only after that. He apparently told that he is going to self-immolate for not letting Deepam to be lit at Thirupparankundram,” the brother said.
Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai, one of the six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan, houses the ancient Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple at its base.
The hilltop also features the Sikandar Badushah Dargah, a Muslim shrine.Hindu devotees and petitioners have long argued that the Karthigai Deepam should be lit at the historic Deepathoon pillar near the dargah as a traditional practice. On December 1, 2025, Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench directed the temple administration, under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, to light the lamp there in addition to the usual locations.
Despite the court order, the DMK government did not permit the ritual and reportedly used force to prevent devotees from reaching the site.
Authorities lit the lamp only at the Uchipillaiyar Temple mandapam, citing longstanding custom, potential law-and-order concerns, and claims that the pillar is a Jain-era structure (Samana Deepathoon) not traditionally associated with the festival.
The government has appealed the High Court order, and in the latest hearing, its counsel strongly opposed allowing Hindus to light the sacred lamp at the disputed pillar.
