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Panguni Uthiram
Panguni Uthiram
Panguni Uthiram
By
Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran
Acknowledgement:
I wish to express my gratitude to the authors from whose works I gathered the
details for this book, and to my wife Kamala Sampath in compiling the details.
Courtesy Google, for some of the photographs. Special thanks to www.scribd.com
for hosting my e-books.
The day is the symbol of grahasta dharma i.e, the married life of a
person. The ancients chose Uthiram to convey to humans that it is for
underlining the glory of Grahasta Dharma that the Almighty manifests
in the marital state as Uma Maheshwara, Sita Rama, and Radha Krishna
- despite his changelessness, sans childhood or youth or old age.
Ordinary mortals celebrate their wedding again only when they turn 60
and 80. But the celestial wedding of Gods takes place every year.
The Lord is indeed a "Nitya Kalyana Murti". It is our duty to celebrate
this day when the Lord, in both Shiva and Vishnu temples, appears to
devotees in his married state.
The day is also of great importance at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in
Kerala.
As per the Valmiki Ramayana, this is the auspicious day when Shri
Rama and Sita got married. Panguni month is similar to that of Phalgun
month in other calendars. As an annual event all temples take their
utsava murthis to the kalyana mandapam of the temple and perform the
marriage of the presiding God and Goddess there.
Saiva Saints who lit lamps at the temple with water on Pangunu Uthiram
day.
The verse under reference is as follows:
Aaraainthu adi thondar aanippon Aarur ahaththu adakki Paaruur pari
patththam Panguni Uththiram part paduththaan Aarur
narumalar Nathan adi thondan NambiNanthi Neeraal thiru vilakku
ittamai nee nadariyummantre
4th Thirumurai pathikam 102 verse 2
It states that in the village called Eamapperur near Thiruvarur there lived
a Saiva Sage by the name Naminanthi Adigal. He one day conducted
pooja to a Sivalinga near an anthill (puttru), and then moved to a temple
closeby known by the name Araneri.
Here he wished to prey to the deity at this temple by lighting as many
lamps as possible. But as the daytime was waning and with the coming
of the evening, he thought the night would fall by the time of his return
fetching ghee from long distance. So he went to the nearby house and
asked for ghee for this purpose. But it happened to be a Jains house who
refused same and insulted him, and in turn asked Naminatha Adigal to
light the lamp with water.
He felt very sad, and returned to the Araneri Sivan temple, and intensely
prayed placing himself in prostrate. Then a heard an asura vaakku saying
you leave your sadness and go to the nearby pond and collect water and
use it to light the lamps continuously.
Naminanthi Adigal accordingly went to the pond reciting the name of
Siva, brought water and lit all the lamps to the amazement of everyone.
This he continued for many days and the news spread far and wide from
Thiruvaaruur. The then ruling Chola king hearing of the Siva thondu
of Naminanthi Adigal gave donations to him to develop the anthill shrine
and appointed him as the chief to conduct regular religious rituals as per
Saiva agamas. Naminanthi Adigal then requested the king for assistance
as he wished to conduct festivals connected with the God Siva's
Thiruvilayadalhal (miracle) and also the Panguni Uthiram festival in a
grand way at the temple of Thiruvarur.
Likewise the Panguni Uthiram festival thereafter was conducted yearly
in an elaborate way at the Thiruvarur temple. Naminanthi Adigal too was
latter proclaimed as one of the sixty three Tamil Saiva Saints
(Nayanmars).
The verse under reference is as follows:
Ventri Vidaiyaar Mathi Sadaiyaar Veethi Vidanga Perumaal thaam
entrum Thiruvaarur aalum eyalpin muraimai thiruvilaiyatu ontrum
seyalumPanguni UthThiram anth thirunaal uyar sirappum nintru
vinnappam seitha padi seitharulum nilai petrar"
Periyapuraanam verse 20
In addition to the above there is a further reference to Panguni Uthiram
found in the Seikkeelars Periyapuraanam. He mentions
that Paravaiyar the wife of the Saint Sunderamoorthy Nayanaar while in
Thiruvarur, wished to participate in Panguni Uthiram day festival by
providing the Sivanadiyars all what they required to their hearts content,
and needed gold towards the expenses.
To meet the need of his wife Paravaiyaar, Saint Sunderamoorthy
Nayanaar went to the shrine at Thiruppuhalur and worshipped the
presiding God Siva for funds. Even after pleading by worship and not
getting the gold, and on feeling sleepy wished to sleep in the temple
frontage along with other pilgrims.
Collecting some burnt sand bricks which were kept outside for the
renovation of the temple, for head rest, placed his white silk cloth and
slept. When he later arose from sleep he was astonished to see that these
brick stones have turned into bricks of gold.
He praised the God Siva at Thiruppuhalur with the Thevarap pathikam
commencing as "Thammaiye pukalnththu" and thereafter with the gold
bricks he visited Thiruppanaiyur where God Siva gave vision in his
dancing form to Saint Sunderar. On seeing this vision Saint Suderar fell
prostrate and worshipped and sang the pathikam Arangaada valaar
avare alagiyare, and thereafter he with some pilgrims of
Thiruppanaiyur carrying the gold bricks returned to Thiruvarur. He sent
the gold bricks to his wife and went along with some Sivanadiyar
straight to Thiruvaarur temple.
The verse under reference is as follows:
Seri pun Sadaiyaar Thiruvarur Thiru Panguni Uththira thirunaal
kuruka varalum Paravaiyar kodaikku vilaavil kuraivarukka nirayum
pon kondanaivathatku ninainththu Nambi Thirupukaloor Iraivar
paatham paniya eluntharuli sendru angu eithinaar"
Periyapuraanam verse 46
We are learning these references from the inscriptions about the
existence of these festivals and celebrations as early as that of the
Emperor Rajaraja Chola.
The ten days "Panguni Uttaram Festival" is being celebrated at the
Kapaaleeswarer Temple, Chennai - TamilNadu, with the "Arupaththu
Moovar - Thiruvizha" celeberated with religious rituals and the Statues
of the - 63 - "Tamil Saiva Saints (Nayanmars).
Panguni Uthiram is also a holy day for Murugan worship and celebrated
in a big way in the Murugan temples in Tamil Nadu especially in
Palani and in the "Arupadai Veedu sthalangal.
The festival is celebrated over a ten day period in most of the Murugan
Two historical events relating to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam were reenacted during the first week of Panguni. The first one relates to the
home coming of Ranganatha at Uraiyur and the second one, a few days
later, relate to the divine couple of Srirangam providing the Serthisevai
(being together) on the occasion of Panguni Uthiram. It is the only day
in the year when we see the Goddess Ranganayaki with Srirangam Lord
Ranganatha on the same stage
Sri Mahalakshmi (Sri Ranganayaki Thayar)s birthday is celebrated on
this day. This event draws huge crowds of devotees who come to get the
Divine Mothers Loving Blessings and to witness an enthralling reenactment of the interaction between Lord Sri Ranganatha, Sri
Ranganayaki Thayar and Sri Nammazhar (as mediator).
It is also that day on which Bhagavad Ramanuja performed Saranagathi
to Sri Ranganayaki and Sri Ranganatha and composed the 3 gadyams
(poems) Saranagathi gadyam, SriRanga gadyam and SriVaikunta
gadyam for the benefit of the Lords devotees.
On the sixth day of Aadhi Brahmotsavam and the second day of
Panguni, Namperumal, the processional deity of Lord Ranganatha, goes
on his seven-hour trip across the River Cauvery to meet his beloved
Kamalavalli Nachiyar at Uraiyur.
Uraiyur was the first capital of the Chozhas and is also the birth place of
Thiruppaan Azhwar, who composed 10 famous verses on Lord
Ranganatha called Amalanaathipiraan in which he showered the
highest praise for the Lord of Srirangam.
Uraiyur relates to the celestial love story of young Kamalavalli and her
wedlock with Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam.
Legend has it that, pleased with the prayers of the Chola king Nanda
Chozhan, who was childless, Lord Ranganatha asks Goddess Lakshmi to
be born as the Kings daughter at Uraiyur and promises to marry her at
an appropriate time. Being born out of the Lotus, she is named
Kamalavalli. Time comes when the Chola King decides to get his
daughter married and he readily agrees when he realises that
Kamalavalli has fallen in love with Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, the
one who had blessed him with progeny. Giving in to the kings prayers,
the Lord agrees to marry Kamalavalli Nachiyar.
Delighted, Nanda Chozhan builds the temple at Uraiyur to celebrate the
Home Coming of Lord Ranganatha. This event is enacted every year
during the Tamil month of Panguni when devotees can have darshan of
Namperumal with Kamalavalli Nachiyar at the Uraiyur temple.
A unique feature of the temple is that this is the only Divyadesam, where
the Goddess is facing the Northern direction, (in this case facing the
Ranganatha temple, Srirangam, which is North of Uraiyur).
Learning about the Lords trip to Uraiyur to meet Kamalvalli and
presenting His ring to the Nachiyar, Ranganayaki Thayar fumes with
anger. On the occasion of Panguni Uthiram (the fifth day of Panguni),
Namperumal decides to meet Ranganayaki Thayar at her sannidhi
located on the Northern side of the Srirangam temple. To convince
Ranganayaki, it is believed that, the Lord goes around the Chitra and
Uthira streets to meet the devotees and collect money to buy a new ring
for the Thayar.
After over three hours, Namperumal reaches the Thayar Sannidhi. As if
waiting for a chance, Ranganayaki shuts the door refusing Him entry
into the Sannidhi. The Lords repeated attempts to move into the
sannidhi fail. To top it all, He is even pelted with butter and fruits from
the other side, which is enacted by priests and Arayars, called Mattai adi
Utsavam.
A war of words ensues between the two with the Lord trying his best to
convince Thayar of his commitment to her. During the 90-minute debate,
which was one of the biggest highlights of Panguni Uthiram festival, the
Araiyars represented Namperumal as the mediator between the Lord
(waiting outside the entrance of the Thaayar Sannidhi) and Thayar.
Mattai Adi Utsavam is a special event at Srirangam, where the human
emotions are exhibited, and pilgrims throng to enjoy the Vaibhavam of
the Dhivya Dampathis. It is an uthsavam to highlight the kapada
Naatakam of the Lord and the legitimate anger of Sri RanganAyaki
After an intense debate, with Namperumal trying unsuccessfully to
convince Thayar, Nammazhwar, who had been closely watching the
drama, intervenes and advises the Goddess to accept the Lord once
again. Immediately, accepting this directive, Ranganayaki relents
Lord, I accept you as directed by Nammazhwar. Please come in.
This heated debate between the two and the way it ends, with Thayar
accepting the Lord again, showcases to the world the beautiful
relationship between a husband and a wife. It is made colorful thru the
enactment of the drama to indicate event he dhivya dampathis are not
above human emotions as a dampathi.
Following the debate, Namperumal enters the Thayar Sannidhi and the
divine couple give darshan to the devotees at the Serthi Mandapam, and
thousands of devotees throng the temple to worship Serthi darsanam.
Belief is that a visit to the Srirangam temple on this day for the Serthi
Seva will relieve one of all sins.
As per the tradition at the Srirangam temple, Chinna Perumal (Selvar),
who is seen alongside the Moolavar deity, is taken out on a procession to
the River Coloroon on the Panguni Uthiram night for Theerthavari.
After vedic recital and distribution of sacred water at the Coloroon,
Chinna Perumal joins Namperumal and Ranganayaki at the Serthi
Mandapam around midnight.
It was on Panguni Uthiram, at the Serthi Mandapam, around 900 years
ago Ramanuja composed three great works of prose called Gadhya
Thraya.
In the first verse called Saranagathi Gadhya, a delighted Ramanuja on
finding the divine couple together at the Serthi Mandapam approaches
Ranganayaki Thayar, sings in praise of Her and seeks Her blessings to
make Lord Ranganatha to accept his total surrender at his feet.
In the second composition called Ranga Gadhya, he sings in praise of
Lord Ranganatha and shares to the world the many virtues of the Lord.
In the third composition, called Vaikunta Gadhya, Ramanuja in a
glorious description brings to light the great things and the divine world
of Vaikunta.
In memory of his contributions, these three compositions of Ramanuja
Brahma started it on the day Sriranga vimana emerged from the ocean
of milk in Satya lokam. Then the Ikswakus celebrated it when they
obtained the Sriranga Vimanam as their wealth. Sri Ramachandra who
took avatharam in this vamsam (clan) gifted this to His favourite devotee
Vibhishana.
Vibhishana who was carrying this Vimana stopped at Sesha Peetam (the
present island location of Srirangam between the holy rivers - Cauvery
and Kollidam) an island formed by two Caveris to perform the Panguni
Utsavam. Once the utsavam was over Vibhishana wanted to carry the
Vimanam to Lanka but cud not lift as Lord Ranganatha desired to live on
this island. The devotee had to agree and the Lord reclined facing His