Nine lemons at a Tamil Nadu temple believed to cure infertility fetched Rs 2.36 lakh at an auction on Tuesday, Times of India reported.
The lemons are spiked on the 'sacred' spear of Lord Muruga in the state's Villupuram temple, and devotees believe consuming lemonade from them will cure infertility and bring prosperity to families.
Many childless couples visit the deity in the small temple located on the confluence of two hillocks during the yearly Panguni Uthiram festival, jostling for the lemons that the temple management auctions.
"Childless couples buy the lemons as there is a strong belief that the lemon cures infertility. Traders and businessmen buy the lemon seeking prosperity in their business ventures", a villager told the publication.
Over the nine days of the festival, temple priests spike a lemon on the spear each day and the management auctions them off on the last day. The lemon which is spiked on the spear on the very first day is believed to be the "most auspicious" and possesses the greatest power.
A couple from Kulathur village there bought that particular lemon for Rs 50,500, ToI reported.
People who successfully bid for the lemons take a holy bath and then receive them, kneeling before the temple priests. The temple has been celebrating this festival for years.
(Published 28 March 2024, 05:58 IST)
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