Aadi Perukku is a traditional festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Aadi month (typically in July or August) in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a festival dedicated to the worship of water, river, and nature, marking the onset of the monsoon season. The day is considered auspicious for worshiping Mother Earth and the water deities, seeking blessings for abundance, fertility, Rituals and Offerings:
- Preparation: Devotees prepare for Aadi Perukku by cleaning their homes and bathing in sacred rivers or water bodies. Women especially observe this day by offering prayers for their family’s well-being. Rangolis are drawn in front of homes, and temples and water bodies are decorated with flowers and lights.
- Worshiping Water: On Aadi Perukku, people visit nearby rivers, lakes, or ponds to offer prayers. Offerings such as coconuts, fruits, flowers, and tender mango leaves are made to honor the water deities and Mother Earth.
- Celebrations by Rivers: Groups of women perform the puja by offering food, rice, and sweet preparations like payasam (sweet rice pudding) in water bodies, invoking blessings for fertility and prosperity.
- Fasting and Prayers: Devotees typically fast on this day, offering prayers for well-being and prosperity for their families. The day is filled with joy, community gatherings, and spiritual reflection.
- Concluding Rituals: The puja concludes with prayers for abundant rains and prosperity, followed by the distribution of prasad to family members and neighbors.
Aadi Perukku is a festival that celebrates the sacredness of water, the abundance of nature, and human connection with the environment. It encourages respect for natural resources and fosters community spirit.good harvests, and prosperity.
Significance of Aadi Perukku:
Aadi Perukku marks a celebration of the life-giving properties of water. The festival is deeply connected to agriculture, as water is essential for the growth of crops. The day also symbolizes the gratitude of people for rivers, lakes, and water bodies that sustain life. The Aadi month in the Tamil calendar is considered sacred, and Aadi Perukku, in particular, focuses on water bodies and their role in sustaining life and prosperity.
The festival is a way to honor nature’s abundance and ask for its continued blessings. Farmers, in particular, participate in the ritual to ensure that the rains and water sources remain plentiful, leading to good crops for the upcoming season.
