MADURAI: Two judges of a bench of the Madras High Court delivered a split verdict on Tuesday on the emotive issue of permitting animal sacrifices, prayers, and gatherings at the Sikandar Badusha Avuliya Dargah, revered by Muslims, located on the Thiruparankundram Hill in Madurai.

The hill is also home to the Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple, one of the six Aarupadaiveedu (sacred abodes) of Lord Murugan. The matter has now been placed before the Chief Justice of the HC for appropriate orders.

The bench comprising Justices J Nisha Banu and S Srimathy was hearing a batch of six petitions. While three petitions sought prohibition of animal sacrifice and prayers or other gatherings, two wanted directions for peaceful administration of the dargah and basic amenities like road, lights, and the sixth one wanted the hill to be declared as ‘Samanar Kundru’ (Jain hill).

The judges agreed that the hill’s name should not be changed and no direction can be issued to pave road, construct toilets, drinking water pipelines, erect electricity poles, etc. as it would damage the hill. But they dissented on other aspects, such as permitting gatherings and animal sacrifice.

Dismissing all six petitions, Justice Banu recalled that the civil courts have recognised the rights of both the temple and the dargah. “Since the matter has attained finality, I don’t want to interfere with the same to preserve interfaith peace and amity, safeguarding secular coexistence, and to uphold the spirit of religious tolerance,” the judge said.

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