Today (3rd August) is the grand Aadi Perukku festival
Posted on: 03/Aug/2018 11:48:44 AM
The festival of Aadi Perukku celebrated today (Friday, 3rd August), especially on the banks of the river Cauvery with great enthusiasm and cheer
The festival of Aadi Perukku is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil Calendar month Aadi every year. It is celebrated as a worship the river Cauvery by performing special pooja on the banks of the river.
On this day of Aadi Perukku, the women observe penance, worship the river Cauvery, light a lamp on a banana strip and let it float away on the banks of the river. Especially the newly married couple will jointly perform the special pooja and change the `Thaali kayiru’ (the holy rope chain that is worn and tied by the husband on the wedding day) with a new one.
The farmers agriculturists, true to the Tamil saying ‘Aadi pattam thedi vidhai’ (Wait for the month of Aadi to sow your seed in your farm). So, the farmers spray and sow the seeds in this season which is special in many ways.
Generally, the Hindu religious festivals are not celebrated based on the number of days. The festivals are celebrated based on the stars (there are 27) and the weekday. In this aspect, Aadi Perukku’ is the only festival that is celebrated in the Hindu religion based on the date and number (18thof the Tamil calendar month Aadi).
During the southwest monsoon rainy season, the water gathered in the catchment areas of the river will swell and flow over. This is known as ‘Aatru perukku’ – the overflow of the river after swelling). So, the farmers, with a strong belief and confidence, sow their seeds in their agricultural farms. Only if they sow the seeds such as rice and sugarcane, they can expect to harvest during the Tamil calendar month of Thai (falling in January-February).
In this background, the evergreen rivers are revered as Goddesses and special pooja are performed with great devotion and gratitude and then they commence the sowing activity. This is why the saying mentioned earlier – ‘Aadi pattam thedi vidhai’.
On this day of Aadi Perukku, people gather on the banks of the river and enjoy the sight of the swelling river. The Hindus visit the temple and pray. The women bathe on the river banks and then reserve a place on the bank of the river to perform their pooja. They will clean the place, wash it with the excreta of the cow and then spread a banana leaf over the cleaned place keep a deity/statue of the Lord Vinayaka and light an earthen lamp on its front and then start the prayer. During the pooja, they offer betel leaves, betel nuts, fruits and lit the camphor piece and perform a prayer to Lord Vinayaka to help the celebrations without any hitch. Then, they take a piece of a banana strip, light a small lamp on it and let it float away on the banks of the river, The myth and the strong belief emphasizes that with this prayer, that just like the swelling and overflowing water health, wealth, and happiness will also swell and overflow in their lives.
Aadi Perukku is celebrated with great verve and enthusiasm in the areas Mettur, Bhavani kooduthurai, Erode, Paramathi Velur, Kulithalai, Trichy, and Poompuhar which are located in the banks of the Goddess River Cauvery.
