In August 2015, the headman of Pazhag Kallimedu, N. Pakkirisamy, filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court. In the Swarnamurtheeswarar temple of Kandadevi in Sivaganga district, Dalits (the Devendrakula Vellalars) staked a claim to play a full role in the temple festival. With this, the curtain has come down on the temple festival even before it could be observed. Following this, the district administration conducted the temple festival without the pulling of the temple car on the ground that the car needed repairs. A Division Bench held that the denial of the right to pull the Kandadevi temple car and participate fully in the festival violated Article 21 of the Constitution.

Source: The Hindu August 11, 2016 21:56 UTC