Thousands of devotees thronged the Tiruparangunram Sri Subramania Swamy Mandir in Madurai on March 29, to witness the grand car festival, also known as the ‘Rath Yatra’. The devotees gathered at the temple to pull the chariot of Subrahmanya Swamy and Ma Deivanai as part of the Panguni Uthiram festival held at Tiruparangunram Sri Subramania Swamy Mandir on March 29.
The procession commenced at 5:40 a.m. with a beautifully adorned wooden chariot carrying the murtis of Bhagwan Subramania Swamy and Ma Deivanai in exquisite attire. It departed from the Urchavar Subramania Swamy sanctuary towards the Mandir gate, making a brief stop at the sanctum sanctorum of the guardian deity ‘Karuppasamy’ for a special puja.
After special pujas were performed by the Mandir pandits, devotees pulled the main chariot and chanted the mantras of Ma Deivanai. The festival was attended by people from 48 villages, locals and many others from across the State. Following this, heavy security arrangements were made for the peaceful procession.
Panguni Uthiram is a significant Tamil Hindu festival observed during the full moon of the Panguni month, which falls between March 14 and April 13. This festival aligns with the transit of the moon through the Uttiram nakshatram (asterism) in the twelfth month of the Tamil calendar, Panguni.
It coincides with the Hindu month of Phalguna/Chaitra. Panguni marks the conclusion of the solar Tamil calendar year, ushering in the beginning of the next new Tamil year.
Panguni Uthiram is considered auspicious for Tamil Hindus worldwide. The festival is also associated with various mythological events, like the weddings of Bhagwan Shiva and Mata Parvati, Bhagwan Ram and Ma Sita and Bhagwan Murugan (Kartikeya) and Devasena.
(with inputs from ANI)
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