Thousands take part in Panguni Uthiram festival celebrations

Madurai: The Panguni Uthiram festival was celebrated in a grand manner in all prominent temples in Madurai, Dindigul, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts. Thousands of devotees participated in the festivities.
Ahead of the Panguni Uthiram, temple authorities hoisted the holy flag a week ago and have been conducting special poojas since then. On Wednesday, celestial weddings and deities' processions on golden palanquin were held.
Out of the six abodes (arupadaiveedus) of Lord Murugan, Madurai and neighbouring Tuticorin and Dindigul have four abodes. In Palani in Dindigul district, the hill temple (Sri Dhandayuthapani temple) was decorated with five tonnes of flowers that was brought from various places. The car festival took place in the evening, which was attended by several thousands of devotees.
At the Thiruparankundram Sri Subramaniasamy temple in Madurai, the main deities Lord Murugan and Devayanai were taken on a golden palanquin. Special poojas were also carried out at the Murugan temple at Solaimalai in Madurai and Tuticorin's Thiruchendur Murugan temple.
Besides, the urchavar idols of Sri Sundareswarar and Piriyavidai and the urchavar idol of Sri Meenakshiamman were taken in a procession from Sri Meenakshi Amman temple to the Thiruvapudaiyar temple in Madurai.
Celestial weddings were also performed to main deities in the Koodal Azhagar and Maduravalli temple, the Thirumogur' Sri Kalamega Perumal and Mohanavalli Thaayaar temple and the Kallagar and Sundaravalli Thaayaar temple in Azhagarkoil.
In Ramanathapuram's Kamuth village, women devotees worshiped in the Amman temple by cooking sweet pongal and carrying milk pots. The male devotees applied mud on the bodies marched on their streets and reached the temple.