TranslateWhen: July/August
Aadi Perukku, also called Pathinettam Perukku, falls on the eighteenth day of the Tamil month Aadi, when the monsoon-fed rivers of Tamil Nadu are traditionally at their fullest. Families gather on riverbanks, particularly along the Cauvery, to offer prayers to the water, prepare mixed rice varieties and spend the day outdoors.
When
Eighteenth day of Aadi, usually early August
Where
Cauvery riverbanks at Trichy, Thanjavur, Erode, Karur and Bhavani
Duration
One day
Main highlight
Riverbank worship and shared mixed-rice picnics
Women perform puja at the water's edge, floating small lamps and offering turmeric, kumkum, flowers and new blouse cloth to the river. Married women tie a fresh yellow thread, and newly married couples are often brought to the river for blessings. Families then eat together on the bank.
Several varieties of mixed rice are prepared and shared — coconut rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice, curd rice and sesame rice — along with sweet payasam. The festival also marks the start of the sowing season in the delta, and it is considered an auspicious time for agricultural activity.
The Cauvery banks at Amma Mandapam in Srirangam near Trichy, at Bhavani in Erode district and at Mukkombu are among the busiest gathering points. Kollidam and Vaigai riverbanks also see celebrations. Arrive in the morning, as most rituals are completed before midday.
