Panguni Uthiram is a festival that commemorates many celestial weddings. Mythology has it that several Hindu divinities got married on this day.
It is an important festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, south India. It is also called Meena Uttara Phalguni. The festival is associated with Hindu deities like Murugan, Ayyappa, Shiva, and Vishnu, but it has a special significance for Murugan, who is worshipped with great devotion on this day by Tamil Hindus. Panguni Uthiram festival is observed in the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April) month when Uthiram Nakshatra or Uttara Phalguni prevails. The entire month of Panguni is very auspicious as many other festivals are also observed in this month.
As per the Tamil calendar, Panguni Uthiram falls on the day when the moon transits in Uthiram Nakshathram in Panguni month. It is on Poornima, or full moon day. Panguni Uthiram 2023 is on Wednesday, 5th April 2023.
Significance of Panguni Uthiram
On this auspicious day, the Uthiram nakshatra/constellation coincides with the full moon. Hindus consider it a very holy day, as many divine marriages took place on this day. Goddess Parvati married Shiva, Deivayanai married Murugan, Sita married Rama, and so on. On this day, Parvati, in the form of Gowri, got married to Shiva in Kanchipuram. So, the festival is also called Gowri Kalyanam day. The festival reminds us of the importance of grahastha dharma, or the married life of a householder.
Another auspicious fact about Panguni Uthiram is that it is also the birth anniversary of Goddess Mahalakshmi. Hence, it is celebrated as Mahalakshmi Jayanti. For it was on this day that Mahalakshmi, the consort of Vishnu and the goddess of wealth and good fortune, emerged from the Milky Ocean when the gods and demons were churning it for Amrit, or the divine elixir of immortality. This festival also coincides with Ayyappa Jayanthi, and marks the birthday of Swami Ayyappan, who was born from the union of Shiva and Vishnu (as Mohini).
Some of the other festivals in this month are Vasantha Panchami, Vijaya Ekadasi, Karadaiyan Nonbu, Amalaki Ekadasi, Karaikal Ammayar Gurupuja, etc.
Panguni Uthiram Rituals
Panguni Uthiram is also called Kalyana Vrata. It is one of the 8 Maha Vratas that the Skanda Purana mentions. People who desire good life partners undertake a fast on Panguni Uthiram and worship Shiva and Parvati. They also offer prayers to Murugan and invoke his blessings for a happy married life.
The fast is observed very strictly. Devotees spend the entire day abstaining from good and worshipping the deities. They consume Payasam, a sweet dish made of milk, in the evening after observing the day-long fast. People who cannot observe a strict fast can observe a partial fast by taking fruits.
There will be festivities and celebrations in homes and temples on this day. People clean idols or statues of Murugan and other deities. They also decorate them with jewels and flowers. In some places, the marriage ceremony of Lord Murugan and Goddess Deivayanai is also carried out. Many devotees flock to the temples of Murugan to watch the ceremony and get his blessings. The priests offer prayers and recite special Mantras like Kanda Shashti Kavasam, Kanda Puranam, etc. Devotees also recite the Mantras.
On Panguni Uthiram, many devotees carry Kavadi, as they do for the Thaipusam festival. A Kavadi full of food offerings is carried by the devotees to the Murugan temples. Also, on Panguni Uthiram, people worship the earth element (Prithvi lingam) at the Ekambareswarar Temple at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Here, the festivities go on for 13 days.
How Murugan Weds Deivanai
It was on the day of Panguni Uthiram that Muruga wed Deivanai, the daughter of Indra. In North India, she is called Devasena. The Jayantipura Mahatmya describes Muruga’s marriages with Deivanai and Valli. As per the Skanda Purana, both were fated to marry him. After Muruga defeated Tarakasura and his demon army, freeing the gods from their reign of terror, Indra gave Deivanai’s hand in marriage to Muruga, who was the commander of the gods in the battle. His marriage with Valli, the daughter of a tribal king, took place later, with the help of his brother, Ganesha. One myth says that both his wives were born from Vishnu’s tears.
Both Shaivites and Vaishnavites celebrate Panguni Uthiram.
