Panguni Uthiram Festival - Palani

Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Palani - Panguni Uthiram The Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, profoundly known as “Palani Temple,” is located in the district of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. The temple is also known as one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan. Apart from the festivals like Thai poosam and Aadi Kiruthigai, the temple also celebrates Panguni Uthiram in a grand manner. The Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple's most prominent ceremony is Panguni Uthiram, which takes place in the months of March and April, on the day the star of "Uthiram"  ascends. The Panguni Uthiram celebration takes place for ten days and attracts over five lakh pilgrims to the temple. The ceremony invites rural farmers to appreciate the harvest and offer paddy to the temple's primary deity, Lord Murugan. Every day, the Subramaniya Swamy idol, together with His consorts Valli and Theyvanai, are escorted in procession around the temple in the forenoon and again at night. The procession of the main deity is taken through the Giri Veedhi - the hill surrounding the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple. At these processions, groups of professional Thevaram musicians are invited to chant the ‘Thirupugazh’ as the devotees' hymn in chorus with them. The deity is carried with various spiritual vahanas (vehicles), such as chapparam - a car-like chariot, ivory chariot, Kamadhenu chariot, golden peacock chariot, elephant chariot made up of silver and golden horse chariot. During the Panguni Uthiram festival, the temple also performs special poojas such as Maha Abhishegam, which involves smearing nine different types of abhisheka products such as milk, curd, rose water, vibuthi, Santhanam, tender coconut water, panchamirtham, and so on. Every year, millions of worshippers visit the temple and take home Palani's famous Panchamirtham - a fruit jam prepared by combining various kinds of fruits with jaggery - along with Lord Murugan's blessings.