Panguni Uthiram 2024
Panguni Uthiram 2024 or Meena Uttara Phalguni (Sanskrit) is one of the eight Maha Vrats mentioned in Skanda Purana. According to mythology, fasting on this day is considered ‘Kalyanam Vrat’. In Tamil, the full moon day of Panguni is known as Panguni Uthiram. The Tamils especially celebrate this day with great joy. The month of Panguni coincides with the month of Phal goon or Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. This festival usually takes place at the end of March when the full moon rises in the sky. On this day, the moon enters the Uttara Phalguna or Uthiram Nakshatra (Tamil). The month of Panguni will be the last month of the Tamil calendar as the Tamil New Year begins.
Story of Panguni Uthiram
When the Uthiram Nakshatra coincides with the full moon, it has special meaning for Tamil Hindus. This day is more special than the wedding anniversary of Lord Muruga and Lord Indra Deivanai’s daughter Panguni Uthiram 2024 is celebrated on the occasion of the wedding of Lord Muruga. Devasena was raised by Iravat, the white elephant of Lord Indra. Another story like Jayantipura Mahatmya tells the story of the marriage of Lord Muruga and his consorts Deivanai and Vali (as seen in his pictures in the temple).
Deivanai and Vali were the sisters who were to marry Lord Muruga. They grew up as sisters Amruta Valli and Sundara Valli. They were then reborn as Deivanai and Vali. Then they were adopted by someone else and separated. One of the daughters was adopted by Lord Indra and the other was raised by the king of the tribe. When Muruga killed Deva, he was born to execute Lord Indra who married his daughter Deivanai . She then married Vali with the help of her younger brother Lord Ganapati and took her to Thiruthani.
Another grand wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati also took place on this full moon day. And since then, it is celebrated as Jayanthi of Lord Ayyappan in Tirupati Tirumala Tirtha.
BHRATRI DWITIYA 2024: TIME, DATE, MEANING, FESTIVITY, AND KATHA
Panguni Uthiram 2024 Date and Schedule
Panguni Uthiram Date: Monday, March 25, 2024
Time:
Panguni Uthiram Nakshatra starts on March 24, 2024, at 7:34 AM.
Panguni Uthiram Nakshatra End: March 25, 2024, 10:38 AM.
Why is the Panguni Uthiram festival important?
Panguni Uthiram is a day that teaches the importance of relationships in life. Without relationships, a stable family life, which is necessary for the development of children and the next generation, is impossible. It is considered a sign of God that a man and a woman enter into the sacred bond of marriage and devotes Kaihatsu to the development of their offspring.
Astrological Meaning of Panguni Uthiram
Panguni Uthiram 2024 falls on the full moon day. The full moon passes through Uttara Phalguni. The full moon day coincides with Uttara Phalguni or Uthiram Nakshatra in the twelfth month of the Hindu almanac known as Phalguni. This day is considered lucky. Astrologers often choose Panguni Uthiram 2024
Nakshatra for mahurat. weddings. As Uttara Panguni is ruled by Venus, married couples can expect marital bliss and peace on this day.
The wedding takes place in a temple. Parvati and Shiva, Devasena and Murugan, Andal and Ranganatha, Sita and Rama are believed to celebrate this day as their wedding anniversaries. In fact, Goddess Mahalakshmi also incarnated on Earth from the Ocean of Milk. There are many temples in South India like Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple in Kerala, Palani Murugan Temple, Trichy Mangaleswara Temple and many other divine wedding ceremonies. Thiruparangunram celebrates a 10-day festival at the Mylapore and Palani temples in Chennai.
Panguni Uthiram ceremony
Devotees visit Murugan temples on this day. The idol of the god is cleaned and decorated with flowers and incense.
Men undertake Pada Yatra (pilgrimage on foot) to Murugan temples, covering about 100 kilometers in three to four days. Women offer butter and food to the pilgrims.
Kavadis (bamboo poles) are dedicated to Lord Muruga and devotees carry them on their shoulders along with milk, holy water and flowers to pay homage to the Lord.
The ten-day celebration of the Pangunith festival continues till the full moon day in the Mylapore area of Chennai, known as Thirukalyanam. Ayyappan Jayanti is celebrated in Ayyappan temples in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
On this day, devotees celebrate the Kalyana Vrat and start the Vrat with an early morning bath. They then skip meals or only eat once a day. During the fast, devotees visit the nearby temple and worship Lord Murugan, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu to seek their blessings.
A unique sweet food (Prasad) is prepared as an offering to Lord Shiva. After completing the fast, devotees eat prasad am and share it with the rest of the family.