This is
unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire
The Madras High Court today directed authorities to permit only 2,500 devotees atop the Annamalai Hill in Thiruvannamalai during the December 2 Karthigai Deepam festival.
Justice K
Ravichandrabaabu said passes for the devotees will be distributed at special
counters on first come first serve basis from 6am on Saturday. The judge passed
a direction to this effect on a petition filed by devotees assailing the
district collector's decision not to permit any devotee to climb atop the holy
hill this year.
Justice
Ravichandrabaabu commended advocate-general Vijay Narayan for coming out with a
suggestion to allow 2,000 devotees and then revising the number to 2,500.
It, however, laid
down conditions for pass holders undertaking the uphill trek during the
festival.
One of the
conditions was that they should not light the deepam in any place atop the
hill, except pouring the ghee at the designated Kopparai where the Karthigai
deepam is lit.
The devotees
should not carry camphor, crackers and other inflammable materials.
The 2,500
passes will not include VIP passes, the judge said, adding that the district
administration should open special counters to distribute them to devotees who
must come in queue.
The judge
directed the district administration to deploy adequate number of police
personnel atop the hill to see that no untoward incident took place during the
festival.
Suitable
arrangements must be made without giving room for any complaint from any
quarters, the judge added.
The devotees
took exception to the collector's order that no devotee would be allowed to
climb the hill during the Deepam festival, because previous festivals had seen
loss of lives, accumulation of garbage and spoiling of flora and fauna, thereby
causing pollution and threat to ecology.
In the
petition, the devotees said the centuries-old practice of climbing the holy
hill to light the Deepam should not be curtailed all of a sudden, that to
without getting the views and opinions of devotees and general public.
Justice
Ravichandrabaabu pointed out that sentiments of devotees and threat to
environment were at loggerheads and the court needed to decide the issue with
great care and caution.
The judge
praised the advocate-general for having come up with a solution.
"The
fair, impartial and balanced role played by the advocate-general is deeply
appreciated and recorded," the judge added.
