Ahead of the Madurai Chithirai festival, an annual event that attracts thousands of devotees far and near, Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the authorities to take stern action against those who try to mar the temple event irrespective of their political affiliations and religion. Despite that TVK cadres raised their part flags during the festival much to chagrin of religious fervour.
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Justice L Victoria Gowri of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the authorities to prevent such incidents like throwing slippers on the crowd, creating ruckus to initiate serious action against if anyone indulge in such activities. She took a serious note of the miscreants throwing footwear on devotees during Bhagwan Kallazhagar;’s ceremonial journey culminating in the deity’s entry into the Vaigai river as part of the ten days Chithirai festival. It is an annual event.
The Judge, in a separate order, directed the Madurai city police to provide adequate and effective police protection for the peaceful conduct of the Thenur Mandagapadi function, which forms part of the Chithirai festival and is scheduled on May 2.
Court Orders Immediate Arrest of Anyone Throwing Footwear or Creating Chaos
The court was hearing a petition filed by P Sundravadivel of Madurai, seeing a direction to the authorities to take preventive measures. The court said throwing footwear at devotees in the midst of a divine procession was not only an act of disorder but also an affront to the faith, an assault upon customary religious practice and desecration of the secular fraternity that formed part of this constitutional ethos. Justice Victoria Gowri said “The Chithirai festival is not merely a temple event, it is a civilizational continuum, a living embodiment of Tamil heritage, rooted in the Sangam culture and nourished through centuries. The festival, in its present form, represents the confluence of Meenakshi Amman temple traditions and Kallazhagar temple traditions symbolically uniting Shaivaite and Vaishavaite streams in a singular expression of devotional harmony”.
She said “Madurai is not merely a city of temples; it is a civilisation of memory with its streets, riverbanks, mandapams, processions, festivals, songs and silences preserving a living archive of Tamil culture, Madurai celebrated in the Sangam literature as Koodal had stood for millennia as the cultural capital of Tamil civilisation. This annual festival is a reminder that faith in India is not a private abstraction but a public cultural experience woven into the life of the people”. The court observed “participation of lakhs of devotees cutting across caste, creed and economic barriers transforms into a living expression of secular fraternity, secularism in its truest Indian sense namely equal reverence and peaceful coexistence of diverse traditions”.
The Judge said “ any act intended to insult or disrupt such a sacred observance therefore has implications transcending ordinary breach of peace. To preserve such festivals is not merely to preserve ritual. It is to preserve the beauty and comity of the secular spirit of this democratic republic.
Adding further the court said “any person found indulging in throwing footwear or any disruptive act should be immediately apprehended on the spot and proceeded against in accordance with law and appropriate remand proceedings shall be initiated. Preventive and intelligence-based policing shall be intensified throughout the festival period”.
The court directed deployment of 15-20 striking force vehicles along the 7.6 km route of Kallazhagar’s procession and at least 10 be stationed in the Vaigai riverbed area. Police in watchtowers shall remain on highest alert and continuously monitor vulnerable spots with drone surveillance”.
Tamil Nadu government assured that peaceful conduct of the procession.
According to long-established custom and usage, Lord Kallazhagar descends into the Vaigai river, proceeds thereafter to the Thenur Mandapam, liberates Manduga Maharishi from his curse near Vandiyur in the Vaigai riverbed, and thereafter, the Thenur Mandagapadi is performed, in which seven Karikaarars are made to receive the traditional honours. However, some individuals had prevented the temple authorities from performing the function last year and apprehending similar obstruction this year, one of the representatives has moved the court.
In April 3 ,2026, Madras High Court has directed the police and district administration to ensure that water gets sprayed traditionally on Lord Kallazhagar during the Chithirai festival in Madurai. Justice GR Swaminathan said “Only those persons who have undertaken austerities and who have taken vows and whose names have been registered with the temple management should be allowed to spray water on the idol when the Lord enters the Vaigai River and that too only in the traditional mode. This should be a highly regulated affair”.
Now devotees ask “?will the police take action against TVK cadres who showed party flag during the festival as directed by the court?”
