Panguni uthram (Meena Uthra phalguni)

Panguni uthram  (Meena  Uthra phalguni)

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

                             (This year this festival   is celebrated on  23/3/2016)

Panguni or Meenam (When   Sun is in the Meena Rasi is the  twelfth month of the solar calendar   which is used in India. Uthram (Uthra phalguni ) is the 12^th star  in the zodiac. On the Uthram day of the Panguni month   the moon is seen in  all its glory as   it is the full moon .(Pournami) . Due to this  Panguni Uthram day is unique and   considered as very sacred. Devotees believe that they would get  maturity of the mind , capacity to  complete any act  they want on that day. They also believe   that on that day they would get the best life’s companion. It is believed it is the most appropriate    day to mend broken matrimonial relations.

        Most of us are  not aware of the sacred nature of this day  . We consider that  it is a festival day for Lord Subrahmanya   when  devotees  take Kavadi to Subrahmanya temples. They also know that  it is a day  that Lord Muruga comes out    from his temples to his devotees  on a chariot. This day also is

The day when Lord Shiva   got married  to  Goddess Parvathi in Madhurai

The day  Mahalakshmi took birth in the  ocean of milk

The day when Goddess Lakshmi   got married   to Lord Vishnu

The day when Rama  got married to seetha

The day when  Aandal  got Married to  Rangamannar

The day when Lord   Subrahmanya  got married to Indra’s daughter Devayani

The day when Lord Brahma   got married to Goddess  Saraswathi

The day when Lord Sastha  got married to  Poorna and Pushkala

The day Indra  got married   to Sachi devi

The birthday of Lord Ayyappa  of Sabari malai

The birthday  of Arjuna  , the great devotee of Lord Krishna and also the day when he got Pasupatha   from Lord shiva,

The day when Lord Shiva kicked  , Yama the God of death when he came to take away   the soul of Markandeya.

The day when Karikkal ammayar merged   with Lord Shiva

The Day when Idumba brought Shiva giri and Shakthi giri as  Kavadi  to Lord Muruga of Pazhani.

The day when all sacred waters come in Dumburu Theertha in Thirupathi.

“This Phalgun Poornima day is also  celebrated as  Holi in the Braj region, which includes locations traditionally connected to the Lord Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana, Kumaoni (Uttarakhant). The day that Holika the sister of Hiranyakashibu was destroyed. It is celebrated as Basatotsav (Bengal), Phagwah (Bihar), Doḷajātra (Oriya), Ganga Mela (UP), Dol Purnima (Bengal), Śigmo (Konkani), Rangapanchami (MP), Yaosang (Manipur), Basnata Panchami (AP), Phakuwa (Assam), Shimga (Maharashtra), Manjal Kuli (Kerala), Fagu Poornima (Nepal), Panguni Uthram Vasanthotsavam (TN). The playful throwing of natural coloured powders has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors. A very auspicious day for all Hindus.(from  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panguni_Uthiram )

 

This occasion is  also  a festival when devotees in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala become a part of the rituals in the temples. Murugan Temple of Palani, Aiyyappa temple of Sabarimala in Kerala, Kapaleshwar temple of Chennai, Mangaleshwara temple in Trichy, Sri Ranganatha temple in Srirangam, Uthiran star temple Mangalambigai Sametha Mangalyeswarar Koil at Edaiyathumangalam are some of the temples where rituals of Divine marriages are conducted on this day .(http://www.astroved.com/articles/significance-of-panguni-uthiram )

Panguni Uthra  Vrutham

       The day previous   to Panguni uthram is termed as  Anna dhana  day.On that day   after  bath ladies   should either prepare  ven pongal or Chakkarai pongal and   Curd rice  , Puliyodharai etc   and offer to  the god whom we worship at home..Later   these  foods  should be distributed to hungry  and poor people. The lady who observes this vrutha  can eat these preparations later (except Puliyodarai.).  At night they would eat only  fruits and drink milk..Next day morning after bath   they should  go to temple   and after return  they can  any food that   they wish   except non vegetarian dishes.