Nine lemons from a temple in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district were reportedly sold for ₹2.36 lakh at an auction on Tuesday. Devotees believe that consuming these citrus fruits, which were spiked on the sacred spear of the temple deity, can cure infertility.
The management of the temple for lord Muruga in Villupuram auctions the lemons during the annual Panguni Uthiram festival, according to a Times of India report. Couples trying to have children visit the temple during this festival and buy the lemons at the auction.
The lemon spiked on the spear on Day One of the nine-day festival is believed by devotees to be the most potent of all. This lemon was bought by a couple for ₹50,500 this year.
One lemon is spiked on the deity's spear by priests on each day of the nine-day temple festival, the report said.
It's not just those looking to have a baby but even businessmen and traders vie for these lemons that are believed by locals to bring good fortune, the report said, quoting a villager.
People who manage to buy the lemons have to take a holy bath before kneeling down before the priest to accept the offering.
{{/usCountry}}People who manage to buy the lemons have to take a holy bath before kneeling down before the priest to accept the offering.
{{/usCountry}}In 2018, a lemon fetched ₹7,600 at an auction held as part of a temple fest in Tamil Nadu's Erode district. It was put up for auction at the Pazhathinni Karupannan temple during the Mahashivarathri festival.
Lemons hold a revered status in spirituality in various cultures, often symbolising purity, cleansing and warding off negative energies in various cultures. In many parts of India, lemon and green chillies are hung on doorsteps and inside vehicles supposedly to ward off evil spirits.
Lemons are also often used in rituals associated with black magic.
In October last year, a peon working with the civic body in Maharashtra's Ulhasnagar was booked under the Anti Superstition and Black Magic Act for allegedly keeping a lemon under the car of the assistant municipal commissioner.