Thousands of devotees attend Panguni Uthiram festival 

Thousands attend Panguni Uthiram festival at Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani, with special pujas, processions, and festivities.

Thousands of devotees from far and near on Friday attended the Panguni Uthiram festival at Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani in Dindigul district.

The temple car was drawn through the giriveethi by devotees amidst the chanting of ‘Kandanuku arohara, Muruganuku arohara’.

Earlier in the day, at around 4.30 a.m., the presiding deities - Lord Muthukumaraswamy and Goddesses Valli and Deivanai - were brought to the Shanmuganadhi. After performing the special pujas and the ‘arathi,’ the deities were taken in a procession amidst chanting by a large number of devotees.

In the evening, the Car festival, the highlight of the Panguni Uthiram celebrations, started at 4.30 p.m. Devotees carrying kaavadis thronged the temple.

The Panguni Uthiram festival began with the hoisting of the holy flag on April 5 at Thiru Avinankudi Temple in Palani. A special puja was conducted for the flag bearing the images of Rooster, Peacock and Vel, before it was hoisted. The ‘Tirukalyanam,’ was held on April 10, the sixth day of the festival. The festival will conclude on April 14.

A large posse of police personnel were deployed in order to ensure smooth and safe conduct of the festival. The police personnel had been deployed along the main junctions in the temple town. All the roads leading to the hill temple were closed for vehicles. It resulted in traffic snarls inside the town.

The authorities had set up temporary pavilions at various places for the convenience of the devotees and provided drinking water, toilet and medical camps. Special buses and trains were operated for the festival.