Madras HC sets aside single judge’s order on practice of rolling over used plantain leaves after annadhanam

A Division Bench (comprising two judges) of the Madras High Court on Thursday (March 13, 2025) set aside a single judge’s order dated May 17, 2024, which had permitted a devotee of a saint to roll over the plantain leaves left behind by people after an annadhanam (donation of food).

A Division Bench (comprising two judges) of the Madras High Court on Thursday (March 13, 2025) set aside a single judge’s order dated May 17, 2024, which had permitted a devotee of a saint to roll over the plantain leaves left behind by people after an annadhanam (donation of food).

Justices R. Suresh Kumar and G. Arul Murugan allowed a writ appeal filed by the Karur Collector against Justice G.R. Swaminathan’s verdict that the devotee had the fundamental right to perform angapradakshanam on the used banana leaves after the guests had partaken of the meal.

The Bench held that devotees could not be permitted to follow the practice of rolling over the plantain leaves until the Supreme Court decides a related case. It also said, the single judge ought not to have granted permission when another Division Bench led by Justice S. Manikumar (since retired) had ruled against the practice in 2015.

The Division Bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar had reserved the verdict in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on July 30, 2024, but delivered it at its principal seat in Chennai, since both judges had thereafter returned to the principal seat after the completion of their three-month tenure in Madurai.

The issue relates to a writ petition filed by P. Naveen Kumar in the Madurai Bench last year seeking a direction to the Collector to grant permission to him to offer annadhanam and perform angapradakshanam over the plantain leaves used for consuming food.

The petitioner had intended to perform the angapradkahsnam ritual on May 18, 2024 — the Jeeva Samathi day of saint Sri Sadasiva Brahmendral, who had been buried alive at Nerur village in Manmangalam taluk of Karur district.

Justice Swaminathan had allowed the writ petition and held that the devotee need not seek anyone’s permission for performing the ritual since Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of conscience and freely profess and practise religion.