Fri Jan 02 16:09:05 UTC 2026: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, along with a brief context of where it originates from:

News Article

Madurai Court Limits Participants, Bans Animal Sacrifice at Thirupparankundram Dargah Festival

MADURAI, INDIA – January 2, 2026 – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has issued a directive restricting the activities surrounding the upcoming Santhanakoodu Urus festival at the Hazrat Sultan Sikandar Badusha Dargah on Thirupparankundram hill. In a ruling issued Friday, the court limited the number of participants to 50 and prohibited animal sacrifice, the carrying of meat and non-vegetarian food, and the cooking of non-vegetarian food on the hill, extending the ban from the foothills to the summit.

Justice S. Srimathy issued the order in response to a petition filed by M. Manickamoorthy, seeking to prevent the dargah authorities from performing ‘Kandhoori’ on the hill.

The State government informed the court that permission would only be granted for the Santhanakoodu festival, scheduled for January 6th, following the same protocol as in 2023. Authorities confirmed that ‘Kandhoori Mahautsav’ would not be permitted, and the restrictions on animal sacrifice and non-vegetarian food would be enforced.

The court has scheduled a further hearing for January 20th, requesting a counter-affidavit to be filed. The police have been instructed to maintain law and order and ensure strict enforcement of the court’s directives.

[End of News Article]

Contextual Notes (From Original Text):

  • Source: This news item originates from The Hindu, specifically their e-paper edition published on January 2, 2026.
  • “The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective” – this suggests it is from an Indian-centric perspective on global news.

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