Panguni Uthiram 2023 | Singapore Panguni Uthiram | Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple

Panguni Uthiram 2023 | Singapore Panguni Uthiram | Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple

Singapore Panguni Uthiram 2023

Panguni Uthiram is a popular Hindu festival celebrated during the full moon day (Purnima) of the Tamil month of Panguni, which falls between mid-March to mid-April in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is significant for the Tamil community and is celebrated in various parts of South India, especially in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to be an auspicious day when the moon is in its brightest and closest position to the earth.

During the festival, devotees visit temples, perform special poojas (worship rituals), and offer prayers to Lord Shiva, Lord Muruga, and other deities. The festival is also marked by the traditional practice of Kavadi Attam, a dance form in which devotees carry decorated structures on their shoulders as a symbol of their devotion and penance.

Overall, Panguni Uthiram is a time for joy, devotion, and celebration for the Tamil community.

Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple

Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple dates back to 1962 when it was founded as a small shrine near Canberra Road. It later became a religious and social space for the Hindu community in the former Sembawang Naval Base, which included Tamils from Tamil Nadu as well as Malayalees from Kerala.

In 1962, P. Karuppiah, a dockyard worker, dreamt of the Hindu deity Lord Murugan and a golden cobra under an elantha (jujube) tree. He then found the tree of his dream near Canberra Road and set up an altar beneath it. Hindu dockyard workers began to pray at the altar and later built a wooden shed to house the shrine.

In 1964, the shrine was registered as Punithamaram Sree Balasubramaniar Temple. Punithamaram means “Holy Tree” in Tamil, while Sree Balasubramaniar is a title of Lord Murugan. Devotees later raised funds to build a proper temple, which was consecrated in March 1971. When Canberra Road was being redeveloped, the temple relocated to the present site in 1996. The temple was later rebuilt, and the current building was consecrated in 2018.

Today, Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple continues to serve the Hindu residents of Sembawang and Yishun. It is also known for organising Panguni Uthiram, an annual festival in which devotees take part in a chariot and foot procession to commemorate the marriage of Lord Murugan and his consort Deivanai.

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