‘Sandhanakoodu flag tied to tree only in dargah area in Thirupparankundram’

Advocate Vanchinathan and secretary of Hazrat Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah Arif Khan condemned BJP leader H. Raja and others stating that they had attempted to trespass into dargah property on Thirupparankundram hill. Mr. Raja and others were detained by police as they tried to reach the hilltop on Monday.

In a press meet on Tuesday, Mr. Vanchinathan said the tree on the hill was not the ‘Sthala Vruksham’ as claimed by Hindu outfits. The book on the history of Thirupparankundram temple said the ‘Sthala Vruksham’ was near Sri Subramaniya Swamy Temple in the foothills, he added.

Hindu outfits were now claiming that the ‘Sthala Vruksham’ was atop the hill. What proof did they have, he asked. The dargah authorities had been conducting Sandhanakoodu event for over 200 years. As part of the festival, the dargah authorities tied the flag of the Pallivasal to a tree on the hill. The event was also over.

However, a complaint had now been filed by the temple authorities stating that the flag was tied to a tree in the area belonging to the temple. The tree was actually in the area belonging to the dargah and not the temple, he said.

When the court was hearing the contempt petition with regard to Karthigai Deepam issue, why was this matter discussed, that too when the Sandhanakoodu festival was over, he asked, adding that the flag was tied to the tree so that it would not fly away in the winds.

He also slammed the State government and the temple management for remaining silent on the issue. They did not raise any issue during the conduct of Santhanakoodu festival. But now they had lodged a complaint stating that the flag was tied to a tree in the temple area. How did it amount to trespassing when the flag was tied to a tree in the area belonging to the dargah, he asked.