Panguni (பங்குனி)

Panguni (பங்குனி)

Panguni is the last month of the Tamil calendar. This year it is from 14th March – 13th April

Karadayan nombu (காரடையான் நோன்பு)  

Panguni begins with Karadayan nombu which actually is observed on the last day of maasi just before the beginning of Panguni.


This nombu is also called Savitri nombu as it is being observed by the ladies for the welfare of their husbands following the footsteps of Savitri who fought with Yama and brought back her husband Satyavan to life!

Panguni and Thai are two months in the Tamizh calendar where the exact time of beginning of the month and not just the day is followed. For Thai, we usually check the time of the beginning to make the Thai pongal. For Panguni, the nombu is to be observed and the sacred yellow thread tied and the nombu adai offered to the Goddess just before the ending of Maasi and beginning of Panguni.

Usually ladies fast until the puja time and offer nombu adai both the sweet and salt variety along with butter to the Goddess and tie a yellow thread around their necks praying for the welfare and longevity of their husbands.

The prayer uttered is “உருகாத வெண்ணையும் ஓரடையும் நான் தருவேன், ஒரு நாளும் என் கணவன் என்னை பிரியாதிருக்க வேண்டும்"  meaning “I offer you non-melted butter and the adai, please ensure that I never get separated from my husband”.

After the puja, the ladies eat only the adai offerings as prasadam.

This year it was on 13th March late in the night.

Arupathimoovar (அறுபத்திமூவர்)

People of Chennai are quite familiar with the Aruvathimoovar festival which takes place in Mylai Kapaleeswarar Temple.

The ten-day festival which transforms Mylapore completely concludes on Panguni Uthiram day with the celebration of the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. There is a procession of the 63 prime devotees of Lord Shiva on the eighth day, giving the festival the name of Arupathimoovar.

This year Arupathimoovar festival began on 10 March and concludes on 19 March. Here is the programme list for this year's festival. (kind courtesy: my sister Jayashree)

Panguni Uthiram (பங்குனி உத்திரம்)

The combination of the star Uthiram and full moon day in the month of Panguni is known as Panguni Uthiram.
Panguni Uthiram is a day which at home we call “wedding day of the Gods” as on this day the wedding of Shiva and Parvathi is celebrated as part of Arupathimoovar as mentioned above.

 Also wedding of Lord Muruga to Deivaanai and  Valli  is celebrated on this day.

Wedding of Lord Mahavishnu and Mahalakshmi is also celebrated on this day.

Special pujas take place in Siva, Vishnu and Murugan temples on this day.
This year Panguni Uthiram is on 19th March .

Ugadhi (யுகாதி)

The Telugu New Year’s Day is called Ugadhi. This year Ugadhi is on 4th April

Sri Rama Navami (ஸ்ரீ ராம நவமி)

The combination of Navami thithi and Punarpoosam star is celebrated as Sri Rama Navami, birthday of Lord Rama.

Special pujas are conducted in temples and homes with items like neermoru, panagam and kosumalli (salad) offered to the Lord. As this is the beginning of summer, we can see that the food offered is ideal to quench one’s thirst and refresh him!
This year Sri Rama Navami falls on 12th April

My Great Ancestors - III

Lakshmi Paati

Lakshmi Paati – called as Bombay Paati (because she spent many years in Bombay) by all in the family is the eldest in our family (born in 1911). She is my mother-in-law’s mother. Though she is bed ridden now, she was a very active person until the last 3-4 years. I remember Paati and me taking a bus back from Adyar to K K Nagar in 1995 when she was 84 years old! Nowadays though she is a bit confused at times, most of the time she responds to our questions. These days the favourite question and answer session between Paati and me is:

I : பாட்டி, நா யார் சொல்லுங்கோ
Paati : ஜெயமா? ஜானகியா? And a few other names will also follow.
I : இல்ல, நா லக்ஷ்மி
Paati : என் பெயரும் லக்ஷ்மிதான் (with a guffaw)

If I ask her what she ate, she does not remember. But once any slokam is played on the tape/TV, she will start whispering the slokams along and her feet will be tapping to the tune.

Nobody would have suffered like Paati, losing her brother, husband early in life, son, daughter-in-law in their prime, daughter, sons-in-law in her old age. But for her attitude towards life, she would not have survived so many losses! She just follows the motto “do your duty and leave the rest to God!”

I met her 15 years back when I got married and from that time, I have never seen her worry or cry over something. Always a cheerful attitude and ready to do any help that she can to her children!

When she used to come and stay with us in our K K Nagar house, many times I have teasingly asked her “பாட்டி, Singapore போலாமா ”, USA போலாமா", she never said “எனக்கு எதுக்கு அதெல்லாம்” always used to say “okay, போலாமே” எப்ப flight பிடிக்கலாம்?".

I got to hear this funny story from Paati. Once, my father-in-law and Paati came by bus from Perambur to K K Nagar. My father-in-law went in the front near the driver seat to chat with the him leaving Paati in a seat in the back. As soon as she saw the K K Nagar Pillayar Temple, Paati thought they have reached home and worried that son-in- law will leave her and get down, hurriedly got down from the bus! Our house in K K Nagar is two bus stops ahead of Pillayar temple. Only after the bus left, did she realise that my father-in-law had not got down and the bus stop was not right. While my parents-in-law were worried about her, Paati hurriedly walked all the distance and reached home. In her panic, she did not even think of taking an auto! It was great to hear her laughingly narrate the story.

My husband says that Paati is more modern in her outlook than any of her daughters.
Once when he was in school, Paati was taking care of him and his brothers at home when my mother-in-law was out of town. My husband and his brother wanted to make omelette at home which was a taboo. Paati indulged her grandchildren’s wish and allowed them to do it! This is only a sample of her modern outlook!

Her will power is also worth a mention; she had a fall in 1996, broke her thigh bone and had an operation. She travelled back to Madras with her daughter (Hema Chitti) from Coimbatore by train in December 1996.

Even when she is bed ridden today, all her body parameters are perfect; she does not have BP, Sugar or any other ailment. It is just plain old age and system is slowing down to a snail’s pace.

I am very happy to have had the chance to know this Paati and have some good times with her.

Love you Lakshmi Paati!