Panguni festival 2024: four Mylaporeans share their 1980s memories

Four senior Mylaporeans took time off last week to share with Mylapore Times, their memories of the Panguni festival of the 1970s and 80s.

Sundari Krishnamoorthy, lived for decades in Mylapore; now resident of Nungambakkam

I did my school and college in Mylapore. Also, stayed there till 2007. The Panguni fest used to be a grand affair and a great attraction for us even during our childhood. The fest would always coincide  with our school annual exams. So, we used to go to the temple in ‘colour’ dress, come back home, change and go to the school in uniform.

The ranga ratinam and the mini giant wheels used to be major attractions.  Shops used to sell miniature vessels (soppu saman). Nari koravas (tribes) used to display a huge collection of colourful beads.

We have been providing annadanam for four generations. My mother used to make panagam, neer mor and rose milk at home and distribute to devotees. The distribution would start at 12 noon and go on till 4 pm.  From 1984 till last year, we have been providing annadanam. We particularly prefer to give food to people who pull the temple chariot. We also have a thanner pandal.

<< WATCH VIDEO  – Sundari shares her fest experiences – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMrUXSwPe4&t=10s

Shobana Ramkumar, Pelathope resident

The 10 day temple festival has been going on ever since Mylapore was a village. The deities are taken out in a one vahanam each morning and night. The deities with the grand alangaram are a sight to behold. People would together to pull the temple chariot. We used to pour water from the building tops on the road to cool down the place. In those days, devotees used to come from villages like Red Hills, Ponneri and Ambathur, many walking all the way with children on their shoulders.

Rajeshwari Srikrishnan, Mylaporean

Each day of the Panguni fest has its own significance. The fest always drew large crowds and sometimes children would get lost in the huge crowd: then announcements would be made about them over the public mike address system and they would be restored. I cannot image these large crowds.

Mathangi Ram, Mylaporean

We have been enjoying these festivities from our childhood, without skipping a year.  The great music composer Papanasam Shivam had said kanna kan kodi venum. That is so true even to this day.  I remember buying glass bangles from the hawkers during the fest when I was young.