Thanjavur: Thanksgiving to bounteous Cauvery

Thanjavur: Religious fervour, gaiety, marked the celebration of Aadi Perukku in Thanjavur district on Friday. The festival is celebrated every year on the 18th of Tamil month of Aadi to welcome mother Cauvery (fresh water in the river). 
With Cauvery and its branches running to the brim after a gap of six years, people in large numbers thronged Bushya bathing ghat on Cauvery at Thiruvaiyaru and celebrated the festival. 

Attired in their best, women worshipped mother Cauvery by performing ‘poojas’ to the river and floating camphor lit betel leaves in the river. Newly married couples performed ‘mangalya pooja’. At Thanjavur, people celebrated Aadi Perukku on the banks of Grand Anicut canal. Crowd was big at the bathing ghat near Big temple. Celebrations were held at various bathing ghats on Cauvery river at the temple town of Kumbakonam.

S.Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery delta farmers welfare association, said that ‘poojas’ were performed to mother Cauvery deity at the Perumal temple at Thirucherai in Tiruvarur district. “I have been doing this every year. This year I am very happy as mother Cauvery is full and her bounty had brought cheers to farmers,” said Ranganathan. Children enjoyed swimming in the river and pulled toy cars (sapparams) to mark the occasion.

Thanks to the heavy rains in catchment areas of Cauvery, Mettur dam filled up to its full level and water was released for cultivation on July 19 by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami this year. Water which reached Grand Anicut was released into Cauvery, Vennar, Grand Anicut canal and Kollidam rivers on July 22.With all the rivers and canals full of water, people enthusiastically celebrated the festival on Friday.

Southwest monsoon is so generous this year, it turned this year in to a surplus year. In the last six years, it was not so. Mettur dam was opened only on October 2 in 2017. In 2016, it was opened on September 20, in 2015 on August 9, in 2014 on August 10, in 2013 on August 2 and in 2012 on September 17. It shows the dam was opened only after Aadi perukku in all those years.