JUDGMENT

(Prayer: Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for the issuance of a Writ of Certiorari calling for the records of the 5th respondent leading to pass the impugned order dated 13.05.2022 and quash the same.)

1. 'Our village will face divine wrath if the proposed Rath festival is not held tomorrow' – This fervent prayer of the writ petitioner made the Court to hold an emergent sitting from Nagercoil and conduct the case through Whatsapp.

2. The writ petitioner is the Hereditary Trustee of Arulmighu Abheeshta Varadarajaswamy Temple, Papparapatti Agraharam, Pennagaram Taluk, Dharmapuri District. His case is that every year the temple has been celebrating its car festival. The procession starts from the temple and runs through the four streets around the temple.

3. The procession takes about four hours and the distance covered is around half a kilometre. There are some eighty houses situated. This festival was being held year after year for the last eight decades without any break till the outbreak of Covid. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Administration, for the last two years the event could not be held. Following the lifting of restrictions,