Thousands of devotees gathered at the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on Friday, April 4, 2026, for the annual Panguni Uthiram chariot festival. The event, a significant date in the Tamil calendar, marks the celestial wedding of deities Lord Murugan and Goddess Deivanai.
Devotees participated in the ritual of pulling the temple's massive, ornately decorated wooden chariot (ther) through the streets surrounding the temple complex. The festival is one of the most important events at the historic temple, attracting pilgrims from across the state and beyond.
Local authorities made extensive arrangements for crowd management and security during the celebrations. The Panguni Uthiram festival is celebrated in various Murugan temples across Tamil Nadu and other regions with significant Tamil populations.
