Follow all rules at Kulasai Dussera fest, orders High Court

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Monday ordered to maintain status quo in the conduct of Dussera festival at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district.

Earlier, the court in 2022 issued an interim order refraining the organisers of the festival not to entertain film songs and dance on stage and allowed only faith based spiritual songs.

The court further directed the Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police to visit the venue during the days of festivity and ensure no film songs are played or danced to such music.

B Ramkumar Adityan, the petitioner from Tiruchendur, said initially some groups performed folk music and dance which, he claims, became a practice.

They have started to hire small-time actors and actresses from the cine industry to perform in such events, mobilising funds from devotees, he said.

“It has become fashionable, a lot of Dussera groups have started to hire TV serial actors and actresses and small-time actors and actresses from Tamil and Hindi film industries and bar dance girls from Mumbai.

Such dance performances seemed obscene and vulgar affecting religious beliefs and against the age-old tradition and culture of the Goddess Mutharamman Thirukovil in Kulasekarapattinam.”

Citing these, the petitioner sought the intervention of the court to restrict such dance performance during the festivity.

A division bench comprising Justice SS Sundar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, after hearing, ordered to maintain status quo in the conduct of the festival as there was no issue last year.

If the instructions were not followed, contempt of court proceedings could be initiated, the judges observed and disposed of the petition.