One of the eight Maha Vrats listed in the Skanda Purana is Panguni Uthiram, also known as Meena Uttara Phalguni in Sanskrit. According to the mythology, keeping a fast on this day is referred to as a “Kalyanam Vrat”. The Panguni full moon day is referred to as Panguni Uthiram in Tamil. Primarily, Tamilians enjoy celebrating this day very much. The Hindu Calendar’s Panguni month falls during Phalgun or Chaitra month. This event is typically observed at the end of March, just as the full Moon is rising. The Moon enters Uthiram Nakshatra, also known as Uttara-Phalguna, on this day (in Tamil). Since the Tamil New Year starts after Panguni, that month will be the final in the Tamil calendar.
Panguni Uthiram is observed on Purnima, or the day of the full moon, when the moon transits in the Uthiram Nakshathram in the month of Panguni, according to the Tamil calendar. This falls in the Gregorian calendar months of March or April and coincides with the Hindu months of Phalguna or Chaitra.
Panguni Uthiram Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Timings: Panguni Uthiram Nakshathram Begins: April 04, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Panguni Uthiram Nakshathram Ends : April 05, 2023 at 01:53 pm
Panguni Uthiram Rituals and Celebrations
- On this day, worshippers go to the Murugan temples. They clean the godly statue and embellish it with fragrant flowers.
- Men travel roughly 100 kilometers on foot in three to four days as part of the Pad Yatra (foot pilgrimage) to the temples of Lord Murugan. Women provide pilgrims with buttermilk and food.
- As they bring jars of milk, holy water, and bouquets of flowers on their shoulders to pay Lord Muruga their respects, worshippers offer him kavadis (bamboo poles).
- The celestial wedding known as Thirukalyanam takes place during the Panguni festival, which lasts 10 days, in the Mylapore neighborhood of Chennai. Ayyappa temples located all throughout Tamil Nadu and Kerala celebrate Ayyappan Jayanti.
- On this day, devotees observe Kalyan Vrata and start their fast shortly after taking a morning bath. They then stop eating altogether or eat only once a day. Devotees also go to the local temple during the fast to worship Lord Muruga, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vishnu and ask for their blessings.
- Prasadam, a special sweet dish, is prepared as a sacrifice for Lord Shiva. When the fast is over, worshippers also eat prasad and split it with their families.
Chant This Mantra on Panguni Uthiram
Harey Muruga Harey Muruga Shiva Kumara Haro Hara
Harey Kandha Harey Kandha Harey Kandha Haro Hara
Harey Shanmukha Harey Shanmukha Harey Shanmukha Haro Hara
Harey Vela Harey Vela Harey Vela Haro Hara
Harey Muruga Harey Muruga Om Muruga Haro Hara
Significance of Panguni Uthiram 2023
On a full moon night, the Panguni Uthiram celebration takes place. When determining the marital muhurat in the past, priests and astrologers would employ either Uthiram or Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra. Venus, the planet of love and marriage and symbolized by a bed that denotes marital contentment and happiness, rules the Uttara Phalguni nakshatra. Consequently, the Panguni Uthiram festival used to be a popular day for royal weddings among Gods and Goddesses.
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