Devotion to fore during Panguni Uthiram celebrations

Madurai: More than 15,000 people carried milk pots and kavadis to the Veerakaliamman temple at Jaihindpuram in Madurai on Friday in view of Panguni Uthiram, the full moon day of Panguni (the last month of the Tamil calendar).
The festival is celebrated on a grand scale each year at the Veerakaliamman temple every year. It began with a flag hoisting on March 21. On Friday, the devotees marched to the Vaigai river with pots and kavadis. Some devotees also pierced their bodies to fulfil the pledge to the Goddess.
Similarly, the festival was celebrated at the Murugan temples, including Tiruchendur, Tiruparankundram, and Palani Murugan temples, across southern Tamil Nadu, as Panguni Uthiram is considered an auspicious day for Lord Murugan. Special poojas were performed for Lord Murugan and his consorts, Deivanai and Valli.
As the day is special for Lord Ayyappan too, devotees gathered at Lord Ayyappa temples and offered prayers.