Despite strong vigilance by the state government and police, backed by a recent Madras high court order to maintain the harmonious coexistence of people in the small town bordering Madurai city, right-wing Hindu groups have asserted that the entire hill, which houses both a temple and a mosque, belongs to Lord Murugan and is part of the Shaivite sect of Hinduism.

They also have opposed the animal sacrifices occasionally conducted by members of the Muslim community near the mosque and alleged that there have been deliberate attempts to name the hill as Sikkandar Hill, as it has been noted in government records for a long time.

To prevent any violence in the region, authorities have clamped prohibitory orders and additional police personnel have been deployed to monitor the entire pilgrim town round the clock. The police have denied permission for public meetings organised by religious and political groups, citing the prohibitory orders imposed in town.

While the foothills of the hill are home to an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, the upper parts of the hill feature a Sufi shrine, which contains the grave of the Sufi saint Sultan Sikandar Badushah Shaheed, as well as a mosque and some ancient Jain caves. With certain Muslim outfits attempting counter-campaigning, the issue is growing as a major temple versus dargah controversy.

“For centuries, people in southern Tamil Nadu have witnessed Hindus worshipping Lord Murugan alongside both Hindus and Muslims offering prayers at the dargah, all while living together peacefully without conflict. However, a sudden turn of events has seen organisations such as the BJP, RSS, Hindu Munnani, and Sangh Parivar attempting to disrupt this harmony by inciting conflicts around the Sikandar Badhusha mosque,” advocate S Vanchinathan of the Madurai Social Harmony Group told HT.

“Individuals from outside the town are being brought in to provoke unrest. Under the UAPA and other relevant laws, the government should take legal action to prevent communal violence in Tirupparankundram. There are clear judicial rulings on dargah ownership and rights, and no one can dispute them,” he said.

He further stated that the trouble began in December last year when a local Hindutva organisation claimed that Hindus were at risk of losing ownership of the hill due to efforts to rename it after Sikhander Badshah, a 12th-century ascetic in whose memory the Dargah was built.

The situation worsened by January 18 when the district administration prevented Muslim pilgrims at the dargah from animal sacrifices as wanted by the Hindutva groups, he said.

According to local Jamaath member A Abudahir, animal sacrifice, known locally as Kandoori, has been a long-standing tradition in the hill, practised for generations without causing any disturbances to the Murugan devotees who regularly visit the temple and climb the hill.

The developments took another turn on January 22 when Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Lok Sabha member L Navas Kani, who is also the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, visited the hillock and held talks with Muslim devotees, local community, police and district authorities.

He posted on social media that the issue was resolved in the talks with district authorities as the authorities allowed carrying cooked meat-based food to the hill for consumption while insisting that no animal sacrifice would be permitted.

The situation, however, escalated when BJP state president K Annamalai on social media accused Navaskani of eating biryani on the temple premises, suggesting it could incite violence. “Hindus are a peace-loving community. An MP went up the hill and ate non-vegetarian food, which is unfortunate. Appeasement politics have taken hold, and this MP should be dismissed as he created a law and order problem. This situation is deeply unfortunate,” he posted on January 24.

In response, Kani issued a press release stating: “He (Annamalai) made false accusations, claiming that I visited the Thiruparankundram temple and ate biryani. I never consumed non-vegetarian food over the hill.”

Following this, the BJP and Hindutva organisations rallied against the Lok Sabha member claiming that it was a deliberate attempt to desecrate the temple.

On February 4, a massive protest organised by the Hindu nationalist outfit Hindu Munanni was held in the town, condemning the alleged move to take over the hill and serve non-vegetarian biryani there. Police imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, prohibiting gatherings of people in the town, given the mounting tension. However, the Madurai bench of the Madras HC permitted the meeting at a location five km away from the city on the condition that nothing provocative could be uttered. According to the police, the speakers made provocative speeches despite the court order.

“The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu is deliberately creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims regarding the Thiruparankundram Subramania Swamy temple issue. The protests by Hindu devotees there were peaceful and spontaneous. DMK ministers PK Sekarbabu and S Regupathy made inflammatory comments that hurt the sentiments of Hindus. The DMK is attempting to communalise the issue, and we are demanding justice for the devotees of Muruga,’’ Annamalai told HT on Tuesday.

“Muslims and Hindus have worshipped together at this site for many years without any issues or conflicts. We are committed to preserving the harmony we have maintained over the years. The IUML and the secular alliance in Tamil Nadu are dedicated to upholding unity,’’ Navas Kani told HT.

Meanwhile, the local community insists that external groups must be prevented from interfering with the practices and not be allowed to interfere in local disputes.

According to local activist S Dileepan, although the district collector held a peace meeting with residents and representatives from all political parties, the BJP and AIADMK refused to sign the agreement to uphold long-standing religious practices barring animal sacrifice. He said that the locals believe in harmony and that only external forces attempt to incite communal violence.

Recently, the Madras HC denied permission for Hindutva organisations to hold rallies and meetings across the state to support their claims regarding the situation in Thiruparamkundram, providing temporary relief to the locals.

Although the communal tensions in Thiruparankundram are relatively recent, the dispute over the ownership of the hillock has a long history, spanning over a century. Historical records showed that in 1915, the Dargah sought to add facilities on the hillock but was prevented, marking the beginning of the dispute.

According to Vanchinathan, a legal ruling in 1923 resolved the dispute by affirming the ownership rights of the mosque and its surrounding area to the Muslim community while also recognising the temple’s rights over other parts of the hill. He noted that the Privy Council upheld this ruling in 1931, confirming that the mosque, its flagstaff, and certain steps leading to it legally belong to the Muslim community.

“A 1978 ruling from the Madurai court reaffirmed that the area at the top of the hill where the mosque is located rightfully belongs to the Muslim community. Despite these legal decisions, Sangh Parivar groups are spreading false claims to incite tensions and misrepresenting historical facts by asserting that the mosque was established recently,” he said.

“For more than 200 years, Hindus and Muslims have worshipped at Tirupparankundram without religious conflict. The tradition of making offerings, such as goats and roosters, to deities like Karuppan and Sudalaimadan has been essential to Tamil culture. This practice continues to be observed by Hindus in several local temples.,” he added.

According to an affidavit submitted by the state government in the Madras HC, animal sacrifice is practised in many Hindu temples within the state.

“For example, a few kilometres from Thiruparankundram, this practice is common in temples such as Alagarkoil. In the Madurai district, animal sacrifice is a traditional ritual at the Malayandi Karuppasamy temple, the Pandimuneeswarar temple, and the Pathinettampadi Karuppasamy temple,” it informed the court.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan asserted that he would advocate for protecting Hindu interests in the hills.

“Some unfortunate incidents have occurred in the area, and the state government must take serious action against the perpetrators. A court order in 1933 clearly states that the entire hill, except for 33 cents of land, belongs to Lord Murugan. However, the revenue records in 1983 incorrectly refer to it as Sikkandar Hill. According to a case in the High Court in 1994, the final order stated that the Karthigai Deepam ritual should be conducted on the hilltop,” Murugan stated during his visit to the hill on Monday.

“Southern Tamil Nadu has a long history of harmony, and attempts to divide people along communal and caste lines may be futile here. Hindutva forces are trying to establish a foothold by attempting to create divisions in the name of religion, caste, and language,” Madurai based human rights activist and political observer Henri Tiphagne said.