What is Aadi Perukku?
Aadi Perukku is an important Hindu festival, which is also known as ‘Aadi 18’, is commonly celebrated among the Tamil people across the globe. This is the beginning of the monsoon season. This is celebrated in the Tamil month of “Adi”, which falls on the month of July – August, of the Gregorian calendar. Aadi Perukku is a thanksgiving festival for the water bodies. As it is a common belief that water is the cradle of civilization, and it helps people to develop to a greater extent, Indians have the practice to celebrate Nature and all its forms.
The significance of Aadi Perukku
The festival Aadi Perukku also has another name ‘Padinettam Perukku’ in Tamil based on the day in which it falls on the Tamil month Aadi. In Tamil, the term ‘Padinettu’ means 18 and ‘Perukku’ means to multiply.This festival is very special for Tamil People, which is also referred to in ancient scriptures. Aadi month is the beginning of the Monsoon season, which marks the rise in the water levels across the rivers and water beds. This festival is highly rejoiced by the farmers, who want to start their farming activities like rooting, sowing, and planting of seeds. The banks of Cauvery especially witness a mammoth crowd, wanting to celebrate the day and take a joyous dip in the flowing water.
The mythology behind Aadi Perukku
Indian culture is a blend of happiness, devotion, worship, and tradition which are to be carried on to the generations to come. The riverbeds, nature, and the life of every person are all interconnected. The flow of the river, the lie of a person and everything greatly impacts one another. To enjoy greater prosperity, it is highly important to show gratitude in life. Thanksgiving to mother nature is an integral part of Indian tradition. Aadi Peruku signifies the lush and opulence of the water enormously gushing in the river and making the land on either side of the bank to be highly fertile. This has a positive significance in the livelihood of the people, and people enormously develop well with the benevolence of the fertile river.
Rituals of Aadi Perukku
On this day, the banks of the rivers are flooded with worshippers. Especially the women along with their family and relatives would love to come here to celebrate that day. Goddess Parvathi is worshipped for the benevolence in everyone’s life, in the banks of the river. It is believed that Goddess Parvathi graciously grants all the wish of her devotees. It is also believed that Goddess Parvathi is a kind mother and considers all her devotees as her own children. Her grace would make everyone happy and come out of any sort of crisis. The prayers offered to her in the form of flowers, fruits, new clothes and specially hand cooked delicacies or “prasadams”, like commonly prepared dishes are coconut rice, sweet pongal, curd rice, colored rice, lemon rice, and tamarind rice.
The deity of “Cauvery Amman” is also greatly worshipped by the devotees, in the banks of Cauvery. Special lamps are also made and are made to float on the river. The lamps are made using jaggery and rice flour and are placed on the mango leaves and set to afloat in the river. Newly wedded couples would visit the river banks and get their sacred thread changed. Some families’ gift their sons-in-law on this auspicious day.
Benefits of celebrating Aadi Perukku
- By offering the prayers to the River Goddess, it is believed to get a continuous supply of good harvest and good yield of crops
- A newly married couple will be able to lead a life with a high level of blessings and gain enormously.
- There will be a complete protection from the evil forces.
- God will abundantly bless all the devotees and fulfill their wishes.
