| Panguni Uthiram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observed by | HinduTamils |
| Type | Hindu |
| Significance | Commemoration of the weddings ofShiva andParvati,Rama andSita,Murugan andDeivanai,Ranganatha andAndal Manifestation ofAyyappan |
| Celebrations | Car festival,Kavadi Attam |
| Observances | Puja in Vaishnava and Shaiva temples Festival of the 63 Saints (Nayanars) |
| Date | Full moon day of the month of Panguni |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Part ofa series on |
| Tamils |
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Panguni Uthiram (Tamil:Paṅkuṉi Uttiram) is aTamilHindu festival. It is celebrated on the confluence ofUttiramnakshatram on thepurnima (full moon) of the month ofPanguni (March–April).[1][2]
Panguni Uthiram commemorates the weddings of Shiva andParvati,Rama andSita,Murugan (Kartikeya) andDevasena, andRanganatha (Vishnu) andAndal. It is also marks the manifestation ofAyyappan.[3][4][5]
Lakshmi is said to have emerged from theOcean of Milk during the legend of theSamudra Manthana on this occasion, celebrated as Mahalakshmi Jayanti.[citation needed]
The day is intended to underline the glory ofgrahasta dharma (the married life of a householder).[citation needed]
Devotees of Murugan carry akavadi for the fulfillment of vows, marked in Murugan temples.
TheBrahmanda Purana indicates that on Panguni Uthiram, millions ofdevas bathe in the Tumburu Tirtha, one of seven sacred tanks in theVenkateshvara Temple ofTirupati. Bathing in the temple tank during this occasion is said to release one from thecycle of rebirth.[6]
The day is of special significance to the worship of the prithvi lingam, thelingam the earth element, of theEkambareswarar Temple at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, where festivities last for 13 days.[7]
According toregional tradition,Parvati in the form of Gauri marriedShiva inKanchipuram. Hence, this day is also celebrated as Gauri Kalyanam.[8]
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