The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has upheld a prior order that permits the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam at a stone pillar known as the Deepathoon, situated on the lower peak of the Thiruparankundram hillock. The hillock is also the site of the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple and the Sikkandar Badhusha Dargah.

Justices G Jayachandran and K.K. Ramakrishnan, forming the division bench, dismissed petitions that opposed the lamp lighting, stating that no substantial evidence was presented to prove the practice was against Agama Shastras. The bench also rejected the Tamil Nadu state government's concerns that the lamp lighting could cause law and order issues. The court found it "ridiculous and hard to believe" that the temple management lighting a lamp on temple land could disrupt public peace, unless the disturbances were instigated by the state itself. The court expressed hope that no state would resort to such measures for political gain.

The court criticized the Waqf Board's "mischievous" claim that the stone pillar belonged to the dargah. It highlighted that lighting a lamp at an elevated location allows Hindu devotees at the foothills to worship it. The court also noted the district administration should have used the issue to promote harmony between communities through mediation.

Furthermore, the court stated that because the hill is a protected site, all activities must adhere to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) regulations. The court clarified that the number of people allowed and the lighting of the lamp would be determined in consultation with the ASI.

The Madras High Court has laid out guidelines to ensure both Hindu and Muslim communities can practice their religions on the hill without interference. The ruling reinforces that the Deepathoon is part of the Lord Subramania Swamy Temple.

The issue of lighting the Deepam became contentious in 1994 when a devotee requested the ritual be moved from the traditional site near the Uchipillaiyar Kovil mandapam to the Deepathoon, closer to the dargah. In 1996, the high court ruled the Deepam should be lit at the traditional location.