Madurai Bench imposes restrictions on Santhanakoodu Urus on the Thirupparankundram hill

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday (January 2, 2026) directed the authorities of Hazrat Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah on the Thirupparankundram hill to conduct only the Santhanakoodu Urus festival and restrict the total number of participants to 50.

Justice S. Srimathy restrained the dargah authorities from carrying out animal sacrifice, carrying meat and non-vegetarian food, and cooking non-vegetarian food. The direction should be enforced from the foothills to the top, the court said.

The official respondents, including the district administration, were directed to strictly enforce the directions. The police were directed to maintain law and order.

The court was hearing a petition filed by M. Manickamoorthy of Madurai, who sought a direction to the authorities to prohibit the dargah authorities from performing ‘Kandhoori’ on the hill.

The State government submitted that permission would be granted only for the Santhanakoodu festival scheduled for January 6. Permission was granted in 2023, and the same would be followed this year too. It also submitted that permission would not be granted for ‘Kandhoori Mahautsav’. Animal sacrifice, carrying meat and non-vegetarian food, and cooking non-vegetarian food would not be permitted, it said.

The court posted the matter to January 20 for the filing of a counter-affidavit.