On the day of Panguni Uthiram, thousands of devotees throng at the six famed temples of Muruga in tamilnadu called as Arupadai Veedu. There are elaborate events organized in these temples. Devotees walk over several miles on foot as a mark of their devotion to Lord Muruga with many of them seen carrying milk pots and a set up called Kavadi on their shoulders and heads carrying some objects to be offered at the temple. The most important festival on this day is the car festival at the hill of palani dedicated to Muruga enshrined in the name Palaniyandi (the mendicant boy of Palani).
It is believed as per the information presented by the Brahmanda Purana that all the holy waters of the universe mix with the Thumburu Theerth, the holy water tank in the tirumala tirupati hills. Gods are given bath in this tank on this day as well as people take a holy dip in this tank that is believed to wash off all their sins.
It was on the eve of this day that the destruction of the ogress Holika, ths sister of Hiranyakasipu happened. The other specialties of this day include a variety of festivals including the Vasantha Utsav (the celebration of the onset of Spring), Basant Panchami (AP), ganga mela (UP), Manjal Kuli (Kerala) and Dol Purnima (Bengal).
