Did you know that Lord Shiva’s Goddess Parvati’s elder son Lord Kartikeya goes by the name of Lord Murugan in South India? Lord Kartikeya or Lord Murugan is the Hindu God of war. He rides a peacock and carries a spear as his weapon. There are many temples dedicated to Lord Murugan in Tamil Nadu and one such temple is currently in the news. The Rathinavelpandiyan Murugan temple is located amid the convergence (joining point) of two hillocks in Ottanandal village of Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is home to a 5 feet tall beautiful statue of Lord Murugan. The temple hosts the Panguni Uthiram festival every year. The festival is 9 days long and draws devotees from around India, especially childless couples. This year the festival began on 15th March and concluded on 23rd March. Every day of the festival, 1 lemon is tied to Lord Murugan’s spear as a sacred ritual. After the rituals are completed, the temple management auctions the lemons to the devotees on the ninth day. The significance of these lemons extends beyond their monetary value. Lord Murugan’s devotees firmly consider the lemons to be sacred. They believe that these sacred lemons hold magical powers as a blessing from Lord Murugan himself for his 9-day puja. According to local legends, consuming lemonade made from these sacred lemons cures infertility, helps in conceiving, and brings prosperity to families. Therefore, Childless couples buy lemons to cure their infertility & bear a child and traders and businessmen buy lemons to ensure prosperity & good fortune in their business ventures. As per the rituals, those who successfully bid for these sacred lemons have to undergo a ceremonial bath & kneel before the temple’s head priest to receive their prized possession. The lemon pierced on the 1st day of the festival is believed to be the most auspicious & ‘potent’ and therefore holds a special significance. This year, the bidding began at ? 100 for each lemon. Numerous people participated, offering bids of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000, Rs 5,000, and more. According to the local reports, a devotee couple from Kulathur village bought the special lemon for a hefty of ?50,500 this year. Lemons worshiped on the second and third days of the festival were auctioned for ?26,500 and ?42,100 respectively. The temple sold the 9 lemons for a whopping ? 2.36 Lakhs at an auction. Surprising, right? Lemons hold a special status in spirituality in various cultures. They often symbolize purity, cleansing, and warding off negative energies in different cultures. Do you use lemons for spiritual & religious purposes? How? Tell us in the comments.

Tags

• lemon price
• tamil nadu
• kartikeya

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