The Court affirmed that traditional rituals must be conducted collectively, ensuring participation rights while awaiting civil suit outcomes.

ORDER

WMP (MD) No.373 of 2026 filed seeking to file a single Writ Petition is ordered.

2. This petition has been filed seeking for a direction to the respondents

1 to 5 to ensure that the petitioners and their family members are permitted to perform the traditional temple events such as taking 'Madukalasam', 'Sengai Vettu' and other customary rituals in the festival of Arulmigu Kannudaiya Nayagi Amman Temple, Nattarasankottai, Sivagangai District as per the long- standing practice and in accordance with the peace meeting proceedings of the 4^th respondent dated 24.03.2025, during the temple festival scheduled to be held on 24.03.2026, and further direct the respondents 1 to 4 to provide adequate police protection to the petitioners and their family members during the temple festival so as to enable them to perform the said traditional rituals peacefully and without any obstruction from the 6^th respondent and his men, by considering the representation of the petitioners dated 09.03.2026.

3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners are prevented by the 6^th respondent and his parties from participating in the Madukalasam customary ritual of the aforesaid temple festival. That apart, they also insisted that by the strength of a Cheppu Pattayam in favour of the ancestors of the petitioners' family, the petitioners are exclusively entitled to the customary ritual of Sengai Vettu, which is duly prevented by the villagers and sought the indulgence of this Court.

4. When the matter came before this Court on 23.03.2026, this Court directed the 4^th respondent police to produce the 6^th respondent parties before this Court today, ie., on 24.03.2026. Pursuant to the said direction, the parties namely, Mr.M.Subbaiah, S/o.Meiyan, Mr.Kannappan, S/o.Muthan and Mr.A.Pandi, S/o.Alaghu are present before this Court today.

5. A dialogue was initiated by this Court between the petitioners and the aforesaid persons, in which both parties have harmoniously agreed that the decision taken by the revenue authorities in the previous year, permitting the temple authorities, i.e., the 5^th respondent herein, to conduct ‘Sengai Vettu’, shall be followed until the disposal of the civil suit proposed to be filed by the petitioners to substantiate their claim under the said Cheppu Pattayam. However, both parties have further agreed that the ‘Madukalasam’ ritual during the said festival shall be conducted collectively by all the villagers.

6. In view of the above, the 5^th respondent shall conduct ‘Sengai Vettu’, until the disposal of the civil suit proposed to be filed by the petitioners to substantiate their claim under the said Cheppu Pattayam and the Madukalasam’ ritual during the said festival shall be conducted collectively by all the villagers. It is made clear that any person belonging to Nattarasankottai Village, Sivagangai District, who is willing to take part in the ‘Madukalasam’, shall be permitted to participate in the same. This arrangement will continue till the proposed suit attains finality. It is also made clear that none of the villagers shall be excluded from participation in the conduct of the temple festival at any point of time in the near future.

7. With the above direction, this writ petition stands disposed of.

Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.