Celebrations on dry riverbed at many places in Delta region

A large number of men and women offered worship to the Cauvery at the various bathing ghats in various parts of the district on Sunday on the occasion of Aadi Perukku. They took a holy dip in the river and performed a special puja as a mark of thanksgiving to the river which ensures their prosperity.

At the Ammamandapam bathing ghat, people started taking the holy dip even as early as 4 p.m. and performed their puja to the river. Newly married couple offered their marriage garlands as part of their prayer.

The lively current in the river delighted the devotees, particularly those who had come from adjoining districts of Ariyalur, Perambalur, and Pudukottai.

They lit camphor and offered coconuts after the holy dip.

A coordinated and comprehensive arrangement by various government departments and service organisations facilitated the smooth conduct of the festival. A team of 12 Fire and Rescue Services personnel, led by M. Melchioraja, Station Officer, Srirangam, said that a close vigil was kept on the safety of the devotees and youths as the water level was on the rise.

Police personnel, led by Kabilan, Assistant Commissioner, Srirangam, regulated the queues at the bathing ghat. Divers were drafted to duty to meet any emergency.

The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation made adequate arrangements for the immediate collection of clothes and saris and immediately cleared it from the spot. A large number of men and women were seen offering the clothes shortly after the holy dip.

In Thiruvayaru

With no water in the Cauvery, people celebrated Aadi Perukku festival in the dry riverbed at Thiruvaiyaru near Thanjavur.

A borewell was drilled by local authorities and people used the water coming out of it. But most of the people offered the worship in dry sand and a fleet of steps of the river. Although the Public Works Department released 2,500 cusecs of water into the Cauvery from the Grand Anicut, it did not reach Thiruvaiyaru and other places. Water was not released into the Grand Anicut canal as construction work is going on at many places. People celebrated the festival with stagnant water in Vennar near drinking water pumping station near Thanjavur.

But lack of water had not dampened the spirit of people. They gathered at bathing ghats and offered worship. Children pulled toy cars.

Veerasenan, a farmer of Pattukottai, said that the PWD should have completed the construction work ahead of Aadi Perukku festival. “Now people have no water in most of the rivers to celebrated Aadi Perukku festival. This is condemnable,” he said.

Aadi Perukku is celebrated on the 18th day of Tamil month of Aadi to welcome fresh water in the river. It is an irony that people had to celebrate the festival in dry sand.

In Karur

Thousands of devotees thronged along the Cauvery bed in different parts of the Karur district to celebrate the annual festival of Aadi Perukku.

Heavy crowd was seen in Mayanur, Lalapet, Kulithalai, Vangal, Nerur, and Thirumukkudal to perform special puja. Besides taking a holy dip, the newly wedded brides’ took the opportunity to replace the “mangalsutra” with new one. They distributed “prasadams” to each others.

(With inputs from M. Balaganessin in Tiruchi, G. Srinivasan in Thanjavur and C. Jaisankar in Karur)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by Tiruchi Bureau / Tiruchi – August 03rd, 2014