On February 4, a sea of saffron descended on the southern Bharatiya temple town of Madurai. In unprecedented scenes, thousands of protesters carrying saffron flags converged in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai, shouting slogans such as “Vetri Vel, Veera Vel, Kappom Kappom Skanda Malayai Kappom,” which translates to “Victorious spear, courageous spear, we will save Skanda’s mountain.” (Spear is Subramanya Swami’s weapon)
Skanda is another name for Sri Subrahmanya, known as Sri Muruga in Tamil Nadu. Skanda also means “god of war.” The protesters represented over 50 Hindu organizations, including the Hindu Munnani, the BJP, and the RSS.
What exactly were they protesting?
The massive protest was organized against alleged attempts by certain Islamist groups to take control of the historic Thiruparankundram hill gradually. The hill is famous for the Thiruparankundram temple devoted to Subramanya Swami. It is the first among the six holy abodes of Sri Muruga (Sri Muruga is the Tamil name for Subramanya Swami).
In recent times, there have been alleged attempts to rename the mountain as Sikandar Hill, after the Sikandar Dargah, which is also located on the mountain.
History of the dispute at Thiruparankundram
The Dargah’s presence on one of the most revered sites of Tamil Hindus has been a matter of dispute for over a century. In 1923, the matter reached the court. After a legal battle that lasted over eight years, the British Privy Council which was the highest court of appeal, finally ruled in favour of the Thiruparankundram temple. The 1931 court ruling granted ownership of the hill to the Thiruparankundram Kovil, except for a portion of the hill known as “Nellitope” and the actual site of the mosque.
This should have settled the matter—and it did for several decades. However, in recent years, Hindus in the area have accused the other side of encroaching on the hill and deliberately trying to rename it Sikandar Malai (Sikandar Hill).
What was the immediate spark for the protests?
In late December 2024, a man named Syed Abu Dahir arrived with his family and attempted to take goats and roosters to the hilltop Dargah for sacrifice rituals. However, the police and authorities stopped them, informing them that transporting livestock up the hill was prohibited. This led to a protest, with over 20 men from the same community gathering at the hill’s steps in support of the family.
They argued that taking animals to the Dargah, sacrificing them, and consuming their meat had been a long-standing tradition. The police clarified that they were allowed to transport cooked meat for consumption and to pray on the Thiruparankundram hill, but the ban applied only to the transportation of live animals. Eventually, the police arrested around 10 individuals after they insisted on proceeding.
Since then, some photos have also surfaced on social media showing individuals allegedly consuming meat on the hill. Let’s remember that this is one of the holiest sites for Muruga devotees. I can’t help but wonder how the police allowed the other community to carry meat for consumption on the hill.
The matter soon escalated, and the Hindu Munnani stepped in, accusing Islamists of deliberately trying to stir up communal tensions in the area. They alleged that fundamentalists were attempting to rename the hill as Sikandar Hill and claimed that members of the Islamic community had been illegally burying the dead on the Dargah premises.
The group also blamed the authorities for hurting the sentiments of Hindu devotees, pointing out how the police had prevented them from lighting lamps on the hill despite a court ruling. As the situation spiralled out of control, the police imposed Section 144 prohibitory orders. However, Hindu organizations approached the court and obtained permission to hold a peaceful protest.
About the Thiruparankundram Temple
The Thiruparankundram Temple, which means “sacred hill of the Supreme Lord,” was built in the Eighth century during the Pandya reign. The temple, carved entirely out of a mountain by cutting rocks, is a unique architectural marvel. An extremely distinctive feature of the temple is that the murtis of Shiva and Vishnu face each other. It is also said that, from the temple, the sun and moon can be seen together. The temple has separate shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Vinayaka, and other prominent Hindu deities.
It is also believed that Subramanya Swami married Devasena, the daughter of Indra, at the site of the temple. As a result, the temple is considered one of the most sacred places for getting married. Couples who marry here are believed to be blessed by Sri Murugan with a happy and successful married life. In addition to the Muruga temple, there are other temples on the hill, such as the Kashi Vishwanathar Temple.
Archeological Importance of the Site
In addition to the religious significance of the Thiruparankundram Temple, the site also holds great archaeological importance. Apart from the temple, the hill is part of a cluster of sites in and around Madurai that were once inhabited by the Jain community, with inscriptions dating back over 2,300 years.
On the southern face of the Thiruparankundram rock is a rock-cut cave, also called the Umai Andar Cave. The carvings found here are associated with both Hindu Dharma and Jainism.
Jain Caves Vandalized
While the dispute was already simmering, it was discovered that some unidentified vandals had defaced the rock carvings by painting them green. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out who might have done this.
Although the matter has now been taken up by the ASI, one can’t help but wonder how the miscreants were able to easily access such an ancient, sacred site of great archaeological importance and vandalize it. However, this may not come as a surprise to those familiar with how temples and sites associated with Hindu Dharma are mismanaged by the TN HR&CE.
About the Dargah
The region, which was under Pandya rule, came under attack in the early Fourteenth century CE by the Delhi Sultanate. At the time, the Pandya dynasty was already in decline. The military campaign of the Delhi Sultanate successfully led to the capture of Madurai in 1323. The region remained under the Delhi Sultanate and later under the Madurai Sultanate for the next 50 years, with Sikandar Shah being one of the last rulers.
It was the Vijayanagara Empire that restored Hindu rule by freeing the region from Islamic control. What’s amusing is that a quick search on the internet about this mosque will tell you that Sikandar Shah was “martyred” in 1377. How can an invader be “martyred”?
Today, it is claimed that Sikandar’s tomb exists on the hill, a claim disputed by the protestors. As with several other sites in the northern part of Bharat, this should also be seen as an attempt to appropriate the Thiruparankundram hill and its history.
Temple-Mosque coexistence and religious harmony
This is not the only place where a mosque exists close to one of the most sacred Hindu sites. What’s most amusing is that, wherever a temple and a mosque coexist, there seems to be an attempt by the liberal lobby to associate Islamic figures with Hindu deities. In the case of this temple, the Madurai Tourism Department’s website claims that Sikander was a friend of Bhagwan Muruga. How much more absurd can it get?
This reminded me of a similar claim in Kerala’s Sabarimala, where the ‘Vavar Mosque’ exists in the vicinity of the temple. The left lobby there successfully floated a story that Vavar was a friend of Swami Ayyappan. They went a step further and created a narrative that every Ayyappa devotee must first visit the Vavar Mosque before going to the temple. This has turned into a ridiculous practice still followed by many Ayyappa devotees who visit the hill shrine.
H. Raja Cites Ambedkar: “Conceding Pakistan Will Not Solve the Threat to Civil War”
While speaking to reporters during the protest, BJP leader H. Raja launched a no-holds-barred attack on the DMK government. He recalled a remark made by B.R. Ambedkar, in which he said that creating a separate country for Muslims would not solve the threat of civil war. Let’s hope that his words are not turning out to be ominously true.
Hindus in this country want to live in harmony with all other communities, including Muslims. However, this religious harmony cannot come at the expense of our culture and beliefs. Hindus are secular by nature. We are the only culture on this planet that believes in ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) and ‘Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu’ (May everyone in the world be happy). While we are inherently secular, our culture also exhorts us to protect our Dharma. Both the Mahabharata and Manusmriti categorically state Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah, meaning “Dharma safeguards those who uphold it.”
It’s high time Hindus recognize that they are being misled in the name of secularism. Secularism cannot be a one-way street!
