The Madras High Court today dismissed a letter patent appeal against the order of a single judge in a contempt petition, permitting devotees of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light lamps (Karthigai deepam) at the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar) atop the Thiruparakundram hills, which is located close to a dargah.

A division bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice KK Ramakrishnan observed that devotees were permitted to light the lamp since single judge's initial order was not complied with by the temple administration. Such modification in the initial order, the division bench said, was sustainable. It observed,

" This Court finds that the order in contempt was not one altering the earlier order of the court. When the court found its earlier order was not complied with,

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