W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 21.04.2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 T.Raja Karuppannan .. Petitioner – Vs. - – 1.The Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Endowment, 109, Uthamar Gandhi Road, Thousand Light West, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 2.The Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Endowment, Ammamandapam Salai, Srirangam, Trichy, Trichy District. 3.The Executive Officer, Arulmighu Sedal Marriamman Thirukovil, Having Office at, Kullunthalamman Thirukovil, 7th Cross Street, Thillai Nagar, Trichy. .. Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents, particularly the 3rd respondent herein to conduct the Vaigasi Car Festival for the year 2026 at Arulmighu Sedal Mariamman Temple situated at Beemanagar, 1/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 Tiruchirappalli District, proposed to be scheduled from 04.05.2026 to 07.06.2026 and based on the petitioner representation dated 05.03.2026, within a stipulated period as may be fixed by this Court. For Petitioner : Mr.R.Sakthivel For Respondents : Mr.M.Sarangan Additional Government Pleader for R1 & R2 Mr.V.Chandrasekaran for R3 ORDER The Writ Petition is filed to direct the respondents to conduct the Vaigasi Car Festival for the year 2026 of Arulmigu Sedal Mariamman Temple situated at Beemanagar, Tiruchirappalli District, proposed to be scheduled from 04.05.2026 to 07.06.2026, based on the representation of the petitioner, dated 05.03.2026. 2. The learned counsel would submit that even with reference to the year 2018 and subsequently, directions were given by this Court. In spite of the same for this year also when the petitioner has made the representation, the same is not answered by the respondents. The festival of the temple should not be stopped without any rhyme or reason. 2/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 3. Per contra, the learned counsel taking notice on behalf of the temple would submit that there is a dispute among the persons who claim themselves to be devotees or entitled to mandagapati, etc. For every festival and every ceremony, there are rival claims, and only because of the same, the Executive Officer is not in a position to conduct the temple festival. 4. In reply thereof, the learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner does not have any objection for the proposal that the festival can be conducted by the Executive Officer without any special privilege to any person. Even the others in the village may accept the proposal. It is their plea that the festival shall be conducted. 5. This Court also takes notice of the fact that every temple festival also results in a lot of littering and throwing of plastic and other solid waste throughout the village and other areas, and when there are umpteen numbers of persons who are approaching this Court to claim rights to conduct particular ceremonies and special privileges, nobody cares for the resultant solid waste and the health hazard. In many villages, the epidemics are breaking out following the temple festivals. 3/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 6. In view thereof, considering the request of the petitioner that he is willing not to claim any special privilege, this Writ Petition is disposed of on the following terms: (i) Within one week from the date of receipt of a web copy of the order, the Executive Officer shall publish a public notice in the village and also in the notice board of the temple at such prominent places, making a proposal to conduct the temple festival from 04.05.2026 to 07.06.2026; (ii) on behalf of the temple itself, without any special privilege to any person whatsoever, and every function and every ceremony shall be jointly done by all the villagers and the persons of the locality without any difference of caste, creed, etc., and for the said purpose, shall convene a meeting in the temple premises or such convenient premises, if every devotee of the temple agrees, then the festival as proposed by the Executive Officer shall be conducted without granting any special privilege to any persons whatsoever; (iii) If the decision is taken to conduct the temple festival, it is also made clear that there cannot be any littering throughout the area where the car procession take place and such temporary bins shall also be kept and the use of 4/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 plastics in the form of cool drinks, eatables, etc., shall be completely banned during the temple festival and all the devotees who are now praying for conduct of the temple festival shall immediately clean the entire village, and the village should not be left with any solid waste, etc., and should look clean on the next day of the solid wastes; (iv) The devotees shall not totally blank only upon the local authority or the village panchayat officials alone to clean the villages and they shall themselves volunteer to clean the entire village. 7. The permission to conduct the temple festival is granted on the terms as above. 8. Even if any cool drinks etc., have to be supplied, the same shall be supplied in vessels and leaves and mud pots and not in plastic cups and plastic sachets, etc. The single use plastics as contained in the government order of the State of Tamil Nadu should not be used during the conduct of the temple festival in any manner whatsoever inside the temple or during the procession. All the devotees shall make an endeavor to put their heads together and to conduct the festival with all the fervour and bhakti, and the temple festival 5/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 should only create an atmosphere of trust and unity among the devotees and the festival shall be conducted accordingly. No costs. 21.04.2026 sji NCC: Yes To 1.The Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Endowment, 109, Uthamar Gandhi Road, Thousand Light West, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 2.The Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Endowment, Ammamandapam Salai, Srirangam, Trichy, Trichy District. 6/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY, J. sji W.P.(MD)No.11273 of 2026 21.04.2026 7/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis