‘Blessed’ lemon auctioned for ₹13,000 at temple in Tamil Nadu

In a unique tradition observed during the annual Maha Shivaratri festival, a single lemon used in rituals at the Pazhamthinni Karuppa Eswaran temple in Vilakkethi village was auctioned for ₹13,000, temple officials confirmed on February 28. The midnight auction, which took place on Wednesday, is part of a long-standing custom followed by the temple.

During the event, devotees bid for sacred items placed on the idol of the main deity, including a lemon, a silver ring, and a silver coin. Thangaraj, a local resident, won the lemon for Rs 13,000, while Chidambaram from Arachalur purchased the silver ring for Rs 43,100. The silver coin was bought by Ravikumar and Banupriya, who together bid Rs 35,000.

Following the auction, temple officials said that the items were placed before the deity for special pujas. Devotees believe that possessing these sacred objects brings prosperity and good health to their families.

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Meanwhile, on Mahashivratri, Varanasi witnessed a massive influx of devotees with over 11.69 lakh people paying obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, according to an official statement on Thursday.

Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directives, the local administration ensured comprehensive security, smooth crowd management and essential facilities for the devotees.

Under supervision of the Kashi Vishwanath temple administration, systematic arrangements were made to facilitate a seamless ‘darshan’ experience. Crowds of devotees gathered on the temple premises from early on Wednesday, eager to perform the rituals.

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“Over 11.69 lakh devotees offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath on Mahashivaratri. In February, five to six lakh people are visiting the temple on an average,” according to the statement.

Devotees offered prayers and performed the traditional ‘jalabhishek’. The Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Ganga ghats were showered with flower petals from helicopters on the occasion.