The Madurai Bench of Madras HC has directed the Sivaganga district administration and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments board (HR&CE) to file a counter affidavit on a petition seeking permission to conduct the Kandadevi temple festival with car procession.
Sornalingam Ambalam, a resident of Kandadevi village in Sivagangai district, filed a public interest litigation stating that in his village Arulmigu Siragilinathar Swamy also known as Swarnamootheeswarar temple, a Lord Shiva temple, was administrated by the Sivagangai Devastanam and the Nattars community and there were previous issues between certain community people regarding the customary right of pulling the car temple. When the issue was taken to the court, it directed to conduct the car proceedings irrespective of caste, community or creed, by all the people.
From 2012, the authorities had not opted to make arrangements for pulling the temple’s big car stating that the car was not in a good condition. Hence the temple festival for the year 2013 was not conducted.
While so, the petitioner made a representation to the authorities in this regard.