Rituals of Panguni Uthiram
On March 09, 2025Panguni is a Tamil month that corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. Panguni Uthiram is a Hindu festival that falls on the full moon day in the month of Panguni. On this day, the moon will be in the Uthiram star/constellation.
It is believed that the energies of the full moon and the star Uthiram will be aligned on this occasion. This creates a powerful energy vortex that makes it possible for people to manifest their desires and overcome problems in their relationships.
The festival is primarily dedicated to Lord Muruga, who is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and the brother of Lord Ganesha. He is the patron god of the Tamil people, so the festival is celebrated grandly in Tamil Nadu and even globally, due to the presence of a sizeable Tamil diaspora. Panguni Uthiram falls on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Both Shaivites and Vaishnavites celebrate the festival. It is a very auspicious day as many divine marriages took place on this day, according to mythology. The marriages include those of Shiva and Parvati, Murugan and Deivanai/Devasena, Rama and Sita, and Lord Rangamannar and the poet-saint Andal.
The Kalyana Vrata observed on this occasion is one of the 8 maha vratas mentioned in the Skanda Purana. This vrata is observed when the Sun shines on the Pisces sign on the Uthiram Nakshatram during the Shukla Paksha (the waxing lunar phase) in Panguni month.
Hindus in Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh also celebrate this festival. Murugan temples in Madurai, Vedaranyam, Tiruvarur, Tirunelveli, Perur and Kanjeevaram (all in Tamil Nadu) celebrate it with great pomp. Kalyana Vrata is celebrated as Holi in north India, especially in Braj, Vridavan, Mathura, Barsana and Kumaoni.
Legend behind Panguni Uthiram
While many divine weddings were held on this day, It is Muruga’s marriage to Deivanai, daughter of Lord Indra, that is most significant on Panguni Uthiram. Deivanai was supposedly raised by Airavat, Indra’s white elephant. The festival is celebrated in all Murugan temples.
Jayantipura Mahatmya carries an account of the marriage between Muruga and his two consorts, Valli and Deivanai. As per the Skanda Purana, both Deivanai and Valli were meant to be his wives. They grew up together as sisters named Amrithavalli and Sundaravalli. In later lives, they got the names Devasena and Valli after two different people adopted them. In the process, they became separated. While Indra adopted Deivanai, a tribal king, adopted Valli. When Muruga killed the demon, Surapadma, and his brothers, Indra gave him Deivanai’s hand in marriage. Later, with the help of Lord Ganesha, his brother, he got married to Valli and went to Tiruthani.
Rituals of Panguni Uthiram
On Panguni Uthiram, devotees rise early in the morning, take a bath, wear clean clothes, and worship deities like Shiva and Muruga.
Kalyana Utsavam, a special marriage ceremony, is performed on Panguni Uthiram. It is believed to help people find good life partners and improve their relationships.
The idols of the deities are made using metal or gold. Devotees decorate the idols with flowers and ornaments, and worship them by offering prayers.
Abishekam is an important ritual on this day. Devotees hydrate the idols using sacred substances like water, milk, honey, and curd. The ritual signifies purification, devotion, and rebirth.
During Panguni Uthiram, the deities are carried on elaborately decorated palanquins or chariots. People sing devotional songs and recite hymns as they accompany them. Some also perform Kavadi Attam as an act of penance before Muruga, seeking forgiveness for their sins. The dancers carry Kavadis (wooden or metal structures) on their shoulders. These represent their offerings or burdens.
Devotees also observe a fast on Panguni Uthiram. Fasting helps purify the body and mind, and helps us connect deeply with the divine. During the fast, only one meal is consumed. Prasad, which may be fruits or payasam are also consumed.
The marriage rituals between the deities take place, and a special feast is prepared. Devotees take part in these, and Prasad is distributed.
Mantras and hymns dedicated to Muruga and other deities are chanted by the devotees to invoke divine blessings for harmonious relationships. The devotees also recite Scriptures including Thiruppavai, Thiruvempavai, or Skanda Purana.
Devotees make offerings like flowers, fruits, coconut, fragrance sticks, or lamps. Many also perform acts of charity, like donating food, clothes, and money to the poor.
On the following day, devotees who observed Kalyani Vrata donates the idols of Shiva and Parvati to another devotee.
Benefits of Observing Panguni Uthiram
It helps one to overcome relationship problems and enjoy a loving and harmonious relationship with one’s life partner.
If you marry your partner during Panguni Uthiram, you may gain wealth, happiness, and prosperity in life.
If you observe Panguni Uthiram fast for forty-eight years, you may achieve liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
