Thousands take part in Madurai's Subramania Swamy Temple car festival amid heavy security arrangements

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 29 : Thousands of devotees thronged the Tiruparangunram Sri Subramania Swamy Temple in Madurai on Friday to witness the grand car festival, also known as the 'Rath Yatra'.
The devotees gathered at the temple to pull the chariot of Subrahmanya Swamy and Lord Deivanai as part of the Panguni Uthiram festival held at Tiruparangunram Sri Subramania Swamy Temple on Friday.
The procession commenced at 5:40 a.m. with a beautifully adorned wooden chariot carrying the idols of Lord Subramania Swamy and Goddess Deivanai in exquisite attire. It departed from the Urchavar Subramania Swamy sanctuary towards the temple gate, making a brief stop at the sanctum sanctorum of the guardian deity 'Karuppasamy' for a special puja.
After special pujas were performed by the temple priests, devotees pulled the main chariot and chanted the mantras of Lord Deivanai. The festival was attended by people from 48 villages, locals and many others from across the state. Following this, heavy security arrangements were made for the peaceful procession.
Panguni Uthiram is a significant Tamil Hindu festival observed during the full moon of the Panguni month, which falls between March 14 and April 13. This festival aligns with the transit of the moon through the Uttiram nakshatram (asterism) in the twelfth month of the Tamil calendar, Panguni.
It coincides with the Hindu month of Phalguna/Chaitra. Panguni marks the conclusion of the solar Tamil calendar year, ushering in the beginning of the next new Tamil year.
Panguni Uthiram is considered auspicious for Tamil Hindus worldwide. The festival is also associated with various mythological events, like the weddings of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, lord Ram and goddess Sita and lord Murugan (Kartikeya) and Devasena.