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2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 26985
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
L.VICTORIA GOWRI, J
A.Prasanna Priya – Appellant
Versus
The District Collector, Collectorate Campus, Virudhunagar, Virudhunagar District. – Respondent
W.P.Crl.(MD).No.1498 of 2026
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr.R.Murugan
For the Respondents:Mr.M.Muthumanikkam, Government Advocate (Civil side), Mr.S.S.Manoj, Government Advocate (Crl. side)
Court enforces peace committee agreement permitting female descendants' participation in temple festivals.
Headnote:Article 226 of the Constitution of India is invoked in this writ petition seeking mandamus for permission to celebrate temple festival and police protection. Essential facts involve female descendants barred from participating in village temple festivals despite contributing, with a peace committee agreement on 06.04.2025 permitting participation. The court finds the agreement binding and directs compliance. Issues framed pertain to enforcement of the peace committee resolution allowing married women to join festivals with their marital families. Ratio decidendi upholds the agreement resolving disputes among temple managing groups (Kariya Vagairah, etc.), directing participation as per its terms without adverse orders against private respondents. Writ petition disposed of with directions to adhere to the 06.04.2025 agreement.
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. enforce agreement; petition disposed with directions (Para 7 , 6) |
| 2. writ seeks mandamus for festival permission and protection (Para 1 , 2) |
| 3. females barred from festivals despite contributions; peace agreement allows participation (Para 3 , 4) |
| 4. court peruses record after hearing counsel (Para 5) |
7.Karuppiah ...Respondents Prayer : This Petition is filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 and 2 to accord permission and consequently direct the 3rd respondent to provide adequate police protection to celebrate the Panguni Pongal to be held during the third week of panguni in tamil year by all the villagers without any gender discrimination to the village temples namely Arulmigu Sri Muturaman Kaladi Swamy, Ruthrakariamman, Karuppanasamy Ayyanar, Sri Sorazhagi Amman and Sri Mandhamman situated within same campus at Muthaneri village, Narikudi post, Thiruchuli Taluk, Virudhunagar District, based on the agreement arrived at on 06.04.2025 in the peace committee meeting in the presence of the 3rd respondent and based on the representation submitted by the petitioner and other female descendents dated 28.03.2025.
For Petitioner : Mr.R.Murugan For R-1 & R-2 : Mr.M.Muthumanikkam, Government Advocate (Civil side)
For R-3 : Mr.S.S.Manoj, Government Advocate (Crl. side)
ORDER
Seeking to direct the respondents 1 and 2 to accord permission and consequently direct the 3rd respondent to provide adequate police protection to celebrate the Panguni Pongal to be held during the third week of panguni in tamil year by all the villagers without any gender discrimination to the village temples namely Arulmigu Sri Muturaman Kaladi Swamy, Ruthrakariamman, Karuppanasamy Ayyanar, Sri Sorazhagi Amman and Sri Mandhamman situated within same campus at Muthaneri village, Narikudi post, Thiruchuli Taluk, Virudhunagar District, based on the agreement arrived at on 06.04.2025 in the peace committee meeting in the presence of the 3rd respondent and based on the representation submitted by the petitioner and other female descendents dated 28.03.2025, this writ petition is filed.
2. Since no adverse order is proposed to be passed as against the respondents 4 to 7, notice to the respondents 4 to 7 is dispensed with.
3. The claim of the petitioner is that the female descendants of certain families are not permitted to participate in the temple festivals of the temples mentioned supra. In fact, the female descendants are bound to pay the contribution to the temple festival, and Thalakattuvari also ought to have been collected from them every year. However, the respondents 4 to 6, and their henchmen did not permit the female descendants to participate as members and receive Thalakattuvari and to perform offerings and other prayers. In this regard, already a peace committee was convened, and an agreement was arrived at in the presence of the 3rd respondent on
06.04.2025.
4. The learned Government Advocate submitted that the temple was managed by four different groups, namely, Kariya Vagairah, Meletheru, Keelatheru, and Therku Theru Vagairah. The petitioner herein are those women from those families who have given their daughters in marriage in any one of the Vagairah as mentioned supra. However, in the Peace Committee, it is resolved to permit them to participate in the festival along with the families to whom they were given in marriage. It is interesting to mention that it is a Sammanthakarars of the women given in marriage to the above- said four Vagairah who are claiming right to participate in the temple festival. It is already resolved in such a way as to permit them to participate along with the families where they have given their daughters.
5. Heard the learned counsels on either side and carefully perused the materials available on record.
6. In view of the agreement already arrived at between the rival parties on 06.04.2025, the petitioner and the rival parties are directed to particip
