SC Upholds Ban on Animal Sacrifice, Allows Limited Prayers on Madurai Hilltop

PTI | NEW DELHI | FEB 10, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Madras High Court decision prohibiting animal sacrifice while granting Muslim devotees limited rights to prayers on the Thiruparankundram Hills in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale declined to interfere with the October 2025 high court order, underlining that it was a balanced decision.

The apex court was hearing a plea challenging the high court order, which argued that it violated the fundamental right to freedom of religion. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, said there had never been a law-and-order problem in the area. The Bench, however, noted that the presence of a peace committee meeting indicated otherwise.

“It seems to be a very balanced order… We do not propose to interfere with the order. Without expressing any opinion on the rights of the parties, the impugned order stands upheld,” the Bench said.

The Madras High Court had permitted prayers and gatherings in the Nellithoppu area during Bakrid and Ramzan, on the condition that such activities did not affect the traditional pathways leading to the Subramaniya Swamy temple. However, the court prohibited animal sacrifice, as well as cooking, carrying, or serving non-vegetarian food, until a competent civil court decided on the matter.