WP.Crl.(MD) No.2472 of 2026

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

DATED : 29.04.2026

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE L.VICTORIA GOWRI

WP.Crl.(MD).No.2472 of 2026

M.Sonaimuthu ... Petitioner

Vs.

1.The Commissioner of Police,

Madurai City, Madurai.

2.The Inspector of Police,

Anna Nagar Police Station,

Madurai city.

3.The Joint Commissioner,

Arulmigu Kallazhagar Temple,

Alagar Kovil,

Madurai. ... Respondents

Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of

India praying for issuance of Writ of Mandamus, directing the

respondents to provide adequate police protection to the 3

rd

respondent Joint Commissioner / Executive Officer of Arulmigu

Kallalagar Temple for the smooth discharge of official duties to

ensure that the customary honours are conferred to the Thenur

village representatives namely the seven Karaikarars without any

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hindrance and to maintain law and order during the Thenur

Mandagapadi function scheduled on 02.05.2026.

For Petitioner : Mr.V.Meenakshi Sundaram,

Senior counsel,

For Mr.S.Balaji

For R1 : Mr.S.S.Manoj,

Government Advocate (Criminal Side)

For R2 : Mr.M.Muthumanikkam,

Government Advocate (Civil)

For R3 : Mr.C.Ramesh

ORDER

Prologue:

Madurai is not merely a city of temples; it is a civilisation of

memory. Its streets, riverbanks, mandapams, processions, festivals,

songs and silences preserve a living archive of Tamil culture. Among

the several villages which stand as sentinels of this civilisational

continuity, Thenur occupies a distinctive place.

2. Thenur, a village in Madurai District, is not to be seen

merely through the geography of fields and habitations. It is a village

of riverine memory, agrarian dignity and cultural discipline. The

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green stretches of paddy, the rhythm of cultivation, the quiet dignity

of rural households, and the collective life of its people reveal a social

order deeply rooted in tradition. It is stated before this Court that the

people of Thenur observe a strict social discipline, that intoxicants

and tobacco are eschewed within the village, and that the village

carries forward a moral imagination akin to Gandhian simplicity.

3. The connection of Thenur with Mahatma Gandhi, as placed

before this Court, is not without symbolic significance. It is

submitted that the sight of rural poverty and agrarian simplicity

around Thenur moved the conscience of the Mahatma and

contributed to his resolve to identify himself with the poorest of the

poor by adopting the simplest attire. Whether recorded by history in

documentary fullness or preserved by local memory with emotional

fidelity, the moral message is unmistakable: Thenur is projected

before this Court as a village of austerity, discipline and self-respect.

4. The said village also has an inseverable connection with the

Chithirai Festival of Madurai and the sacred procession of Lord

Kallazhagar to the Vaigai. The Thenur Mandagapadi is not

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represented merely as a local honour or a ceremonial privilege. It is

presented as a bridge between village and city, between agrarian

Madurai and sacred Madurai, between history and devotion, and

between the people of Thenur and the centuries-old Kallazhagar

festival.

5. Festivals of this nature cannot be reduced to matters of

crowd control alone. They are civilisational events. They gather

within themselves faith, folklore, ritual, public order, local history,

community memory and collective identity. The duty of the State, in

such matters, is not to create rights where none exist, nor to

adjudicate intricate hereditary disputes in writ jurisdiction, but to

ensure that recognised and existing customs are not disturbed by

unlawful obstruction and that public peace is preserved.

Case of the petitioner:

6. The petitioner claims to approach this Court as one of the

traditional representatives of Thenur village and to espouse the

cause of the seven hereditary Karikaarars who, according to long-

established custom and usage, are recipients of ceremonial honours

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during the Thenur Mandagapadi associated with the annual

Chithirai Festival.

7. According to the petitioner, the Thenur Mandagapadi

conducted at Vandiyur in the Vaigai riverbed forms an inseverable

and historically significant component of the festival connected with

Kallazhagar Temple, and the festival scheduled for the current year

is to be held on 02.05.2026.

8. The petitioner would state that, for several centuries, as part

of long-standing religious customs and usages, ceremonial honours

such as honour, parivattam and allied traditional Maryadhai have

been conferred upon the seven Karikaarars representing Thenur

village, in recognition of their historic and customary role in the

festival observances.

9. It is the petitioner’s case that such customary practice is not

merely based on usage but also stands judicially recognised. In this

regard, reliance is placed upon the order dated 20.04.2024 passed

by this Court in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024, wherein continuation of

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the festival and the customary practices as followed in previous years

was permitted.

10. The petitioner would further state that he was arrayed as

the eighth respondent in the said writ proceedings and, according to

him, the said order has attained finality and binds all concerned.

11. The grievance of the petitioner is that notwithstanding the

said judicial protection, during the previous year’s festival, certain

individuals led by one Rajakumar and his associates allegedly

obstructed the temple authorities, including the Deputy

Commissioner, from conferring the customary honours upon the

Thenur representatives, thereby disrupting the traditional

observance.

12. It is specifically averred that there exists a genuine and

reasonable apprehension that the same individuals may once again

interfere with the conduct of the forthcoming festival and obstruct

the temple administration, particularly the Joint Commissioner /

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Executive Officer, from discharging official duties and conferring the

customary honours.

13. According to the petitioner, such interference would not

merely affect a private or village custom, but would amount to

obstruction of an ancient public religious practice, violation of this

Court’s earlier orders and a potential source of breach of peace and

disturbance to public order.

14. The petitioner would further state that, in anticipation of

such disturbance, a representation dated 20.04.2026 was submitted

to the respondents seeking preventive police protection to ensure

peaceful conduct of the festival and unimpeded conferment of

customary honours. Since no effective action was allegedly taken on

the said representation, the petitioner has approached this Court

invoking its extraordinary jurisdiction.

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15. It is therefore the petitioner’s case that intervention of this

Court has become necessary not for adjudication of any fresh right,

but for enforcement and protection of an existing customary practice

and for preserving law and order during the forthcoming festival.

Grounds for direction:

16. The writ petition is founded firstly on the ground that the

customary honours sought to be protected are not newly asserted

privileges but long-standing traditional observances recognised by

usage, history and prior judicial orders, and therefore deserve

protection from unlawful interference.

17. The second ground urged is that this Court, by order dated

20.04.2024 in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024, has already permitted

continuance of the customary practice, and any obstruction to such

practice would amount to undermining and frustrating the

implementation of judicial orders, warranting protective directions.

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18. The third ground is founded upon apprehended breach of

peace. It is contended that in light of the disturbance allegedly

caused during the previous year’s festival, there exists a reasonable

basis for apprehending repetition of similar obstruction, which

justifies preventive intervention by this Court to preserve public

order.

19. The fourth ground is that the respondents, being entrusted

with maintenance of law and order, are under a public duty to

ensure that lawful religious practices and recognised customs are

not thwarted by private interference and that public order is

preserved during a large congregational event involving lakhs of

devotees.

20. The fifth ground is that the representation dated

20.04.2026 submitted by the petitioner seeking preventive police

protection has not evoked any effective response, thereby

necessitating issuance of a writ of mandamus to compel performance

of statutory and public duties.

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21. The petitioner further grounds the prayer on the plea that

absence of adequate police protection may result in disruption of the

festival, denial of customary honours to the Karikaarars, and

avoidable law and order complications affecting not only the

petitioner and the villagers of Thenur, but also the larger body of

devotees participating in the festival.

22. A further ground urged is that the relief sought is purely

preventive and regulatory in nature and does not require

adjudication of disputed civil rights, but only seeks facilitation of

peaceful performance of an admitted traditional observance and

protection of the temple administration in discharge of its official

duties.

23. It is also contended that the prayer subserves a larger

public interest, inasmuch as the Thenur Mandagapadi is projected

as part of the cultural and communal harmony embedded in the

Chithirai Festival and, therefore, preserving its peaceful conduct

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serves not merely private interest but public order and social

harmony.

24. Lastly, it is urged that in the absence of any equally

efficacious alternative remedy, and having regard to the immediacy

of the festival scheduled on 02.05.2026, this Court’s jurisdiction

under Article 226 of the Constitution is rightly invoked for issuance

of appropriate directions.

Arguments on either side:

25. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted

that the present writ petition concerns an important and ancient

Mandagapadi forming part of the celebrated Kallazhagar Chithirai

festival. The said Mandagapadi is known as the Thenur

Mandagapadi, and it is performed at the Thenur Mandapam situated

in the middle of the Vaigai riverbed.

26. It was submitted that the Thenur Mandagapadi has a

unique and singular significance, inasmuch as it is the only

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Mandagapadi where Lord Kallazhagar is traditionally believed to pay

money and visit the Mandapam. According to the petitioner,

originally, the said honour consisted of payment of 20 gold coins.

Thereafter, it came to be converted into 20 silver coins, and

presently, a sum of Rs.200/- is paid, along with coconut and fruits,

and the same is acknowledged by obtaining signature in the relevant

register.

27. The learned counsel elaborated that, prior to the Nayakar

rule, the Kallazhagar festival was originally performed at the Thenur

Vaigai riverbed. Later, for promoting Saivite and Vaishnavite unity,

the festival was shifted to the Madurai Vaigai riverbed by royal order.

When such shifting took place, the Karikaarars of Thenur consented

to the same and were conferred with a special customary honour at

the Mandapam in the Vaigai riverbed at Madurai. Thus, the Thenur

Mandagapadi is not a mere ritual, but a symbolic recognition of the

historic relationship between Thenur and Madurai.

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28. It was further submitted that the Meenakshi Kalyanam

festival and the Kallazhagar festival were originally separate festivals,

and that the Kallazhagar festival was associated with the Thenur

riverbed. After the Nayakar period, the two streams of devotion and

cultural identity were brought together, thereby representing the

unity of Saivite and Vaishnavite traditions. The learned counsel

submitted that the honours given to the Thenur Karikaarars are

traceable to such historical background.

29. The learned counsel submitted that the said custom has

been in existence for more than 100 years, as borne out by the report

submitted by the temple authorities before the Hon’ble Division

Bench in an earlier public interest litigation filed by one Rajakumar,

wherein the prayer was not to grant such Maryadhai to the Thenur

Karikaarars. It was submitted that the report of the temple had been

extracted in the interim order of the Hon’ble Division Bench , and

upon recording the said report, the Hon’ble Division Bench had

permitted continuance of the traditional practice.

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30. It was further submitted that the said writ petition before

the Hon’ble Division Bench is still pending, and in the meanwhile,

the custom has been protected. However, during the year 2025,

when the temple authorities attempted to implement the said order

and continue the traditional honour, a small group of persons from

outside allegedly created disturbance at the Mandapam. As a result,

the customary honours could not be properly performed and Lord

Kallazhagar had to depart from the place without the completion of

the customary observance. It is in the said background that the

present writ petition has been filed seeking police protection.

31. The learned counsel submitted that the Thenur

Mandagapadi is an identity of the people of Thenur and a reminder of

their historic connection with Madurai. It is the only Mandagapadi of

such nature among several Mandagapadis associated with the

Kallazhagar festival.

32. The learned counsel also submitted that Thenur is

historically significant not only for the Kallazhagar festival, but also

as a village associated with Gandhian values. It was submitted that

Mahatma Gandhi had passed through Thenur, took a solemn resolve

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there, and thereafter adopted the simple attire which became

symbolic of his identification with the poor and the common people

of India. It was further submitted that Thenur remains a village

without a TASMAC shop and without sale of tobacco products within

the village, thereby preserving a distinctive social and cultural

identity.

33. The learned counsel further explained the sequence of the

festival. Lord Kallazhagar descends into the Vaigai river, proceeds

thereafter to the Thenur Mandapam, gives Shaba Vimochana to

Manduga Maharishi near Vandiyur in the Vaigai riverbed, and

thereafter the Thenur Mandagapadi is performed. The seven

Karikaarars are made to stand and receive the traditional honours,

whereafter the Lord leaves the Mandapam.

34. It was submitted that on 01.05.2026, Lord Kallazhagar

would arrive in the morning and thereafter proceed to Rama Rayar

Mandapam for the water-spraying ceremony. On the next day,

namely 02.05.2026, the Lord would proceed in Garuda Vahanam

from Rama Rayan Mandapam to the Thenur Mandagapadi, perform

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the ritual relating to Manduga Maharishi, and thereafter return in

Sesha Vahanam.

35. The learned counsel also submitted that the Chithirai

festival is not merely a religious event, but a grand celebration of

Madurai’s composite culture. It was submitted that Lord Kallazhagar

also visits a Muslim household, where he is offered a Lungi as a

garment, and this practice symbolises communal harmony. It was

further submitted that the deity which goes in procession remains

outside the temple for a certain period thereafter, reflecting another

layer of tradition associated with Thulukka Nachiyar. According to

the learned counsel, these customs are signs of harmony among

communities and religions.

36. The learned counsel submitted that the petitioner seeks no

adjudication of any rival civil or hereditary right in this writ petition.

The only prayer is for ensuring that the traditional Thenur

Mandagapadi is not obstructed by outsiders and that sufficient

police protection is provided at the Thenur Mandapam, in addition to

the general festival bandobust.

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37. The learned counsel specifically submitted that the

customary honours are to be received by the seven Thenur

Karikaarars by their traditional titles and not as individual private

persons. The seven Thenur Karikaarars entitled to receive the

Mandagapadi honours at the Vaigai riverbed from Lord Kallazhagar

are:(1)Munsif Karikaarar (2)Kanakkapillai Karikaarar

(3)Sethuramalinga Pillai Karikaarar (4)Nattamai Karikaarar

(5)Ottadukku Karikaarar (6)Maniakarar Karikaarar (7)Servai

Karikaarar.

38. It was submitted that these Karikaarars represent the

traditional categories recognised by the village and that there is no

present dispute among them. The petitioner’s grievance is only

against third parties and outsiders who may attempt to interfere with

the customary honour. Therefore, the learned counsel prayed that

the respondents may be directed to provide adequate police

protection at the Thenur Mandapam and to ensure that the

customary honours to the seven Thenur Karikaarars are peacefully

performed.

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39. The learned Government Advocate appearing for the official

respondents submitted that the respondents have no objection to the

peaceful performance of the customary Thenur Mandagapadi,

subject to maintenance of law and order and compliance with the

overall arrangements made for the Chithirai festival.

40. It was submitted that the Kallazhagar festival attracts a

massive public gathering. The learned Government Advocate (Crl)

submitted that for the Alagar festival alone, nearly five lakh devotees

and members of the public are expected to participate, and even

during the concluding portions of the festival, there would be a

minimum participation of about three lakh persons.

41. The learned Government Advocate (Crl) further submitted

that the Chithirai festival is the identity of Madurai and the

surrounding districts. It was submitted that people belonging to all

religions and communities participate in the festival, and that it is

one of the rare festivals in Tamil Nadu where all sections of society

jointly conduct, participate in and celebrate the event.

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42. With regard to police protection, it was submitted that

police personnel are usually deployed as part of the general festival

bandobust. However, it was also fairly submitted that an incident

had occurred last year in connection with the honours claimed by

the Karikaarars, and therefore, the request for focused protection at

the Thenur Mandapam may be considered by the Court.

43. The learned Government Advocate, however, submitted

that deployment of 100 additional police personnel exclusively for the

Thenur Mandapam may not be practically possible, considering the

large-scale security arrangements required throughout the festival

route and at various Mandagapadis. Nevertheless, it was submitted

that necessary and adequate police protection would be provided at

the relevant place to prevent breach of peace.

44. The learned Government Advocate further submitted that

the order may not record the names of private individuals as

hereditary beneficiaries, as such recording may create future

complications. Instead, it was suggested that the customary honour

may be referred to by the traditional titles of the Karikaarars, namely

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Munsif Karikaarar, Kanakkapillai Karikaarar, Sethuramalinga Pillai

Karikaarar, Nattamai Karikaarar, Ottadukku Karikaarar, Maniakarar

Karikaarar and Servai Karikaarar.

45. It was further submitted that the identification of the

person who would represent each Karikaarar title may be left to the

established village custom and temple practice, and that the police

would only ensure maintenance of law and order and prevent

obstruction by outsiders.

46. The learned Government Advocate therefore submitted that

appropriate directions may be issued to ensure peaceful conduct of

the Thenur Mandagapadi, without conferring any fresh right upon

any individual and without disturbing the pending proceedings

before the Hon’ble Division Bench.

47. The learned counsel appearing for the temple/other side

submitted that several writ petitions have been filed in connection

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with different Mandagapadis and customary honours forming part of

the Chithirai festival. It was submitted that the temple authorities

are required to conduct the festival peacefully and in accordance

with established usage, but cannot adjudicate disputed hereditary or

customary rights between rival individuals or groups.

48. It was submitted that if there is an admitted custom, the

temple will conduct the ritual in the usual manner. However, the

temple cannot be made a forum for resolving disputes as to who

among different persons is entitled to receive the honour, unless

such identification is made in accordance with custom, village

decision or competent orders.

49. The learned counsel therefore submitted that the order

may be carefully worded so as to permit the performance of the

Thenur Mandagapadi and receipt of honours by the recognised

Karikaarars, without naming individual persons as exclusive right

holders and without giving scope for further disputes.

50. It was further submitted that the seven Karikaarars, if

recognised by their traditional titles and permitted to come forward

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to receive honours in accordance with the established practice,

would sufficiently protect the custom while avoiding unnecessary

individual rivalry.

51. The learned counsel therefore prayed that the writ petition

may be disposed of with suitable directions to the police and temple

authorities to maintain peace, regulate the gathering, and ensure

that the customary honours are performed without disturbance.

Point for consideration:

52. The following point arises for consideration in this writ

petition:

Whether, in the light of the earlier order passed by the Hon’ble

Division Bench in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024, the admitted antiquity

of the Thenur Mandagapadi, the apprehension of obstruction during

the forthcoming Chithirai Festival, and the public duty of the

respondents to maintain law and order, this Court ought to issue a

Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to provide adequate

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police protection and facilitate the peaceful conduct of the Thenur

Mandagapadi scheduled on 02.05.2026?

Analysis:

53. The Chithirai Festival of Madurai is not a festival of one

denomination alone. It is a public festival of history, faith, culture

and common participation. The materials placed before this Court

indicate that after the celestial wedding of Lord Sundareswarar and

Goddess Meenakshi, the procession of Lord Kallazhagar to Madurai,

His entry into the Vaigai, His journey towards Vandiyur, His

association with Manduka Maharishi and His connection with

Thenur Mandagapadi together form a ritual sequence of deep

antiquity and public reverence.

54. The Thenur Mandagapadi, as projected before this Court,

has a special place in that sequence. It is said to be connected with

the earlier location of the festival at Thenur and the subsequent

shifting of the celebration to Madurai. The very existence of

ceremonial honours to the Thenur Karikaarars is explained as a

recognition of that historical transition. This Court is not required in

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this writ petition to pronounce upon all historical claims with the

precision of a civil trial. It is sufficient to note that the custom is not

a newly invented assertion, but one which has already received

recognition in earlier proceedings before this Court.

55. At this juncture, it is necessary to extract the first

paragraph of the interim order passed by the Hon’ble Division Bench

of this Court in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024, since the same records

the report of the temple administration and throws immediate light

upon the nature of the custom:

“Pursuant to our last order dated 18.04.2024, today, when the

case is taken up for hearing, Mr.S.Manohar, learned Standing

Counsel appearing for the respondent temple has submitted the

following report:

",e;jpUf;Nfhapypd; 1433k; gryp 2024Mk; Mz;L rpe;jpiug;

ngUe;jpUtpoh tUfpw 19.04.2024 Kjy; 20.04.2024 tiu

eilngwTs;sJ. nku;gb jpUtpohtpy; 23.04.2024k; Njjp fhiy 5.51

kzpf;F Nky; 6.10 kzpf;Fs; mUs;kpF fs;sofu; itif Mw;wpy;

vOe;jUSfpwhu;. Nkw;gb jpUtpohtpw;F jkpofj;jpy; midj;Jg;

gFjpfspypUe;Jk; gy;yhapuf;fzf;fhd gf;ju;fs; mofu;NfhapYf;F

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tUif jUthu;fs;. ,J jkpofj;jpd; Kf;fpa jpUtpohf;fspy;

xd;whf Fwpg;gplg;gl;L (Notified Festival) cyfk; KOtJk; cs;s

kf;fshy; mwpag;gl;L rpwg;ghf tUle;NjhUk; nfhz;lhlg;gl;L

tUfpwJ.

Nkw;gb rpj;jpiu jpUtpohtpy; jhj;;gupaNk. kz;^f

KdptUf;F rhg tpNkhrdk; mspg;gjw;fhfNt> mUs;kpF fs;sofu;

mofu;NfhtpypUe;J Gwg;gl;L kJiuf;F tUk; topfspy; cs;s gy

kz;lfg;gbfspy; gf;ju;fSf;F Nrit rhjpj;J ,Wjpapy;

tz;bAupy; itifahw;wpd; fiuapy; mike;jpUf;Fk; NjD}u;

kz;lfg;gbapy; fUl thfdj;jpy; vOe;jUsp Nrit rhjpf;fpwhu;.

,t;thW tz;bA+u; NjD}u; kz;lfg;gbapy; kz;L;{f

KdptUf;F rhg tpNkhrdk; toq;fpa gpd;G> jpUf;Nfhapy;

epu;thfj;jhy; NjD}u; fpuhkj;ij Nru;e;j Vgfiufhuu;fSf;F

guk;giuahf> ghuk;gupa gof;f tof;fg;gb kupahijfs; njhd;W

njhl;L toq;fg;gl;L tUfpwJ vd;w tpguk; njuptpj;Jf;

nfhs;sg;gLfpwJ.

(Xk;) ny.fiythzd;

Jiz Mizau; /nray; mYtyu;

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/cz;ik efy;/Mizg;gb/

fz;fhzpg;ghsu;."

56. The above report is of considerable relevance. It is not a

private assertion. It emanates from the temple administration and

was recorded by the Hon’ble Division Bench. It expressly states that

after Lord Kallazhagar grants relief to Manduka Maharishi at the

Thenur Mandagapadi in Vandiyur, honours have been traditionally

given by the temple administration to the persons of Thenur village

according to hereditary and traditional custom.

57. The Hon’ble Division Bench, after considering the said

report, further observed that the practice of conducting the

Mandagapadi at Thenur Mandapam near Vandiyur at the Vaigai

River had been followed for several hundred years. It was further

observed that the age-old custom could not be suddenly changed on

the basis of the writ petition filed before the Division Bench. Most

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significantly, the Hon’ble Division Bench directed that the festival, as

per the custom being conducted till the previous year, should be

continued to be conducted that year also.

58. This Court is conscious that the said proceedings before

the Hon’ble Division Bench are stated to be pending. Therefore, this

Court does not propose to decide any issue which would prejudice

the pending writ petition. The scope of the present writ petition is

narrow. It does not seek declaration of hereditary title. It does not

seek adjudication of inter se disputes among rival claimants. It does

not invite this Court to identify individual beneficiaries by name. It

seeks police protection to ensure that an existing and judicially

noticed custom is not obstructed by private interference and that the

temple administration is able to perform its duties peacefully.

59. In matters of this nature, the distinction between

adjudication of civil or customary rights and protection of public

order must be carefully maintained. The former may require

evidence, trial and final determination by competent forum. The

latter falls squarely within the public duty of the State. When a large-

scale public religious festival is scheduled, when lakhs of devotees

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are expected to participate, and when there is a specific

apprehension based on the alleged disturbance of the previous year,

the police authorities cannot remain passive.

60. Article 226 of the Constitution of India empowers this

Court to issue appropriate directions for enforcement of legal and

public duties. The maintenance of law and order during public

festivals is a fundamental public duty of the State. The right of

devotees to participate in a lawful religious festival and the right of

temple authorities to conduct the festival in accordance with

established usage cannot be allowed to be defeated by obstruction,

intimidation or disorder.

61. The Government Advocate has fairly submitted that the

official respondents have no objection to the peaceful performance of

the Thenur Mandagapadi, subject to maintenance of law and order

and the overall arrangements made for the Chithirai Festival. The

submission that deployment of an excessive number of police

personnel exclusively at one point may not be practically possible is

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reasonable. At the same time, the State cannot avoid its obligation to

provide focused and adequate protection at a sensitive ritual point

where disturbance is apprehended.

62. The submission made on behalf of the official respondents

that the order may refer to the seven Karikaarars by their traditional

titles rather than by individual names is also reasonable. Such a

course protects the custom without converting this writ proceeding

into a declaration of individual hereditary entitlement. Accordingly,

this Court deems it appropriate to refer only to the traditional titles,

namely, Munsif Karikaarar, Kanakkapillai Karikaarar,

Sethuramalinga Pillai Karikaarar, Nattamai Karikaarar, Ottadukku

Karikaarar, Maniakarar Karikaarar and Servai Karikaarar.

63. The temple administration shall perform the Thenur

Mandagapadi in the usual manner and in accordance with

established custom and practice, subject to the orders passed and to

be passed in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024. The police authorities shall

not decide hereditary rights. They shall not substitute themselves for

the temple administration or the village custom. Their role shall be

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confined to maintaining law and order, preventing obstruction,

regulating the crowd, ensuring safe access and preventing any third

party from interfering with the lawful discharge of duties by the

temple authorities.

64. This Court also records that the Chithirai Festival

represents the composite culture of Madurai. The materials placed

before this Court speak of the blending of Shaivite and Vaishnavite

traditions and the symbolic practices associated with communal

harmony, including the association of Lord Kallazhagar with

Thulukka Nachiyar. In such a festival, no person or group can be

permitted to create disorder in the name of rivalry, sentiment or

assertion. Devotion cannot be allowed to descend into disturbance.

Custom cannot be allowed to be converted into conflict.

65. The prayer in the writ petition is preventive, regulatory and

protective. It seeks implementation of existing practice and

preservation of public order. Having regard to the earlier order of the

Hon’ble Division Bench, the temple report recorded therein, the

admitted importance of the festival, the immediacy of the event

scheduled on 02.05.2026 and the fair stand taken by the official

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respondents, this Court is of the considered view that the writ

petition deserves to be allowed with suitable directions.

66. In the result, this Writ Petition is allowed with the following

directions:

(i) The respondents 1 and 2 shall provide adequate and

effective police protection for the peaceful conduct of the Thenur

Mandagapadi forming part of the Chithirai Festival scheduled on

02.05.2026.

(ii) The respondents 1 and 2 shall ensure that the 3rd

respondent / Joint Commissioner and Executive Officer of Arulmigu

Kallazhagar Temple is enabled to discharge official duties peacefully

and without obstruction during the said Mandagapadi.

(iii) The 3rd respondent / temple administration shall conduct

the Thenur Mandagapadi in the usual manner, in accordance with

the established custom and practice followed in previous years and

subject to the orders passed or to be passed in W.P.(MD) No.9494 of

2024.

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(iv) The customary honours, including Maryadhai, payment of

mandagapadi fees by Lord and allied traditional ceremonial

observances, shall be permitted to be conferred upon the seven

traditional Thenur Karikaarars by their traditional titles, namely,

Munsif Karikaarar, Kanakkapillai Karikaarar, Sethuramalinga Pillai

Karikaarar, Nattamai Karikaarar, Ottadukku Karikaarar, Maniakarar

Karikaarar and Servai Karikaarar, in accordance with established

practice.

(v) This order shall not be construed as declaration of any

individual hereditary right in favour of any private person and shall

not prejudice the rights of parties in any pending proceedings,

including W.P.(MD) No.9494 of 2024.

(vi) The police authorities shall prevent any obstruction,

intimidation, crowd disturbance or unlawful interference by any

third party during the performance of the Thenur Mandagapadi.

(vii) The respondents 1 and 2 shall deploy such number of

police personnel as may be considered adequate by the competent

police authority, keeping in view the sensitivity of the ritual, the

expected gathering and the alleged disturbance of the previous year.

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(viii) The police authorities shall regulate the movement of

devotees, villagers, Karikaarars, temple servants and members of the

public in such manner as to ensure safety, dignity of worship and

uninterrupted performance of the ritual.

(ix) No person or group shall take advantage of this order to

create any fresh claim, rivalry or obstruction during the festival.

(x) The respondents shall act upon the petitioner’s

representation dated 20.04.2026 in the light of the above directions

and make necessary arrangements sufficiently in advance of the

event scheduled on 02.05.2026.

Epilogue:

67. The Court parts with this matter with a word of caution

and hope. A festival which has travelled through centuries must not

be made captive to momentary disputes. The river Vaigai has

witnessed kingdoms rise and fall, communities gather and disperse,

and generations bow in devotion. The procession of Lord Kallazhagar

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is not merely a movement of the deity; it is the movement of

Madurai’s collective soul.

68. Thenur, with its agrarian grace, Gandhian memory,

cultural restraint and historic connection with the Kallazhagar

festival, deserves to have its traditional observance preserved with

dignity. The honours conferred during the Mandagapadi are not to be

viewed as ornaments of personal prestige, but as symbols of

continuity, gratitude and inherited responsibility.

69. Public festivals are tests of public discipline. The true

measure of devotion lies not in the loudness of assertion, but in the

depth of restraint. Those who gather in the name of faith must

remember that the sanctity of the ritual is preserved not by

confrontation, but by order, reverence and mutual accommodation.

70. The State, the temple administration, the village

representatives and the devotees shall therefore act in unison to

ensure that the Thenur Mandagapadi is performed peacefully,

gracefully and in accordance with custom. The Vaigai shall not be a

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witness to discord. It shall remain, as it has long remained, a flowing

symbol of Madurai’s faith, fraternity and cultural immortality.

29.04.2026

NCC : Yes / No

Index : Yes / No

Internet : Yes/ No

Sml

Note: Issue order copy on 29.04.2026.

To

1.The Commissioner of Police,

Madurai City, Madurai.

2.The Inspector of Police,

Anna Nagar Police Station,

Madurai city.

3.The Additional Public Prosecutor,

Madurai Bench of Madras High Court,

Madurai.

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WP.Crl.(MD) No.2472 of 2026

L.VICTORIA GOWRI, J.

Sml

WP.Crl.(MD)No.2472 of 2026

29.04.2026

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