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Panguni Uthiram and its significance
Posted on: 30/Mar/2018 12:49:13 PM
On the occasion of Panguni Uthiram, devotees flock to temples nearby. Some of the famous temples which assumes a lot of importance during this festival is Perur-near Coimbatore, Palani, Kapaleeswarar-Mylapore, Vadapalani Murugan temple, to name a few. The festival falls during March-April. Panguni is special because of the coming together of the star Uthiram and Pournami.
According to experts, it is believed that the wedding of Rama and Sita was celebrated on Panguni Uthiram. So divine marriages are celebrated on this day. As an annual event all temples take their utsava murthis to the kalyana mandapam of the temple and perform the marriage of the presiding God and Goddess there. For instance, the Thirukalyanam of Siva-Parvati, Lord Subramanya, Vishnu-Lakshmi, Rama-Sita is celebrated in a grand manner in all temples.
Say historians, In the Arulala Perumal (Varadarajaswami Temple) in Kanchipuram, the Panguni Pallava Utsavam lasts for seven days when the sacred text Hastigiri Mahatmyam (the sthala-Purana of this temple) is read in the 100 pillared mandapa in front of the deity.
The Panguni Utsavam is a unique festival in this temple which lasts for seven days and culminates on the Uthiram day with the marriage of Goddess Malayala Nachiyar or Serakula Nachiyar to the Lord. People throng in thousands to witness this divine marriage.
In the Ahananuru, a Tamil work of the Sangam period (III C B.C. – III C A.D.), there is a mention about a festival in Panguni which is equated to Uthira Vizha. Shakti Uma Devi performed puja for the Lord in the form of Devi Kamakshi. At the end, the wedding of Siva and Shakti took place here as prayed for by the celestials. An inscription on a gopuram of the Kamakshi Amman temple in Kanchipuram mentions a gift of two villages for Puja on the occasion of the Panguni Utsavam, they say.
The festival is also associated with various rituals. For instance, devotees carry a kavadi (semicircular canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on shoulders), milk pots or pull a chariot in fulfilment of vows. A special feature is the alagu, where devotees pierce the body with spears and hooks as an offering to the Lord for having helped them to avert a calamity.
According to a city based historian, The festival is exceptionally celebrated at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple. No other temple has this big a procession of the 63 Nayanmars during the eighth day of the Panguni festival. The unique aspect of the procession is that as the palanquin of Lord Kapaleeswarar moves forward, those of the Nayanmars will move backwards, facing the deity. Also the deities in the procession will be brought in groups — (Karaikal Ammaiyar; Mangaiyarkarasi; Isaignani) the women`s group; Appar, Sundarar, Manickavasagar; Gnanasambandar and Poompaavai; to name a few. Another unique aspect of the procession is that deities from other temples such as Kolavizhi, Vairamudi Swami, Mundakakanni Amman, Thiruvalluvar Vasuki and others take part. It is thus a community event of the deities. Thanneer pandals have always been an integral part of the festival. Even now, we have some of them who have been doing this service at the fest for more than 150 years such as the Thandavarayan thanneer pandal. Even two decades ago the Mada streets had a number of houses which used to keep their doors open for the devoteeses during the fest. Anyone could climb on the top of the houses to witness the Arupathumoovar or the car festival. Pouring water, to keep away the summer heat, over those who pull the car has been a regular practice.
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