Perukku Festival Celebrated By Tamil Farmers For Bountiful Harvest

Recently on 3 August 2023, the Aadi Perukku festival was celebrated by the Tamil community across the country This occasion is celebrated annually on the 18th day of the month of Aadi and is also known as Pathinettam Perukku. It is a traditional Tamil festival widely celebrated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The festival 'Aadi' falls during the months of mid-July to mid-August in the Gregorian calendar.

• Perukku festival is celebrated to express gratitude to the god of monsoon, nature and goddess Kaveri.

• Visiting rivers and lakes and lighting lamps made of rice flour and jaggery etc. are an important part of the Perukku festival.

• Family members and friends gather to offer prayers to God and share delicious food.

• Women devotees chant religious mantras, hymns and offer turmeric-kumkum along with rice, flowers and wheat to the Goddess.

Adi Perukku: Significance

• The festival of Aadi Perukku is celebrated to pay homage to the life-giving properties of water, as it is considered a gift to mankind.

• Adi month usually starts with the monsoon, which increases the water level in the rivers leading to irrigation and good crops.

Other Tamil Nadu Festival:

• Mamallapuram Dance Festival,

During the festival, a panoramic platform is prepared in front of the stone sculpture series, which is known as 'Arjuna's Penance Rock Sculpture'. To celebrate the diverse forms of folk dance popular in different regions and cultures of India, the Mamallapuram Dance Festival is held for about twenty days in the city of Mahabalipuram.

• Thai Poosam,

Thai Poosam is a festival celebrated primarily by the Tamil Hindu community in South India. It is dedicated to Lord Muruga who is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati.

• Onam,

Onam is the most popular festival in Kerala. It is a harvest festival commemorating the annual visit of the legendary king Mahabali.