It was a day of disappointment for the people, who thronged the bank of Cauvery at Srirangam in large numbers to perform rituals to their forefathers on the occasion of ‘Aadi Amavasai’ (new moon day) on Sunday.
There were days in July when the people were kept out of bounds from the Amma Mandapam bathing gate so as to safeguard them from the strong water current on the Cauvery. Usually, public perform rituals after taking a holy dip.
However, the situation was so different this year. People were seen walking for at least a km in the Cauvery to find water flow to float the puja articles after performing special pujas to their ancestors. Many of them, who could not find water flow, dropped the puja items on the dry sand.
The specially set up water sprinkling facility by the Tiruchi Corporation was only a source of taking holy bath.
“This is the time the river is supposed have water to its maximum level. It is painful to see absolutely dry river. We are really disappointed. The State government should release sufficient water from the Mettur dam at least for Adi perukku festival,” said M. Selvaraj of Thiruvanaikoil after performing pujas to his ancestors at Amma Mandapam.
Thanjavur
Thousands of people offered propitiations to their forefathers at the sacred ghats, including Tiruvaiyaru and Kumbakonam. The dry Cauvery riverbed was a dampener but the devout still thronged the sacred ghats along the course of the river.
People performed ``tharpanam'' for their forefathers at important bathing ghats along the Cauvery such as Grand Anicut, Pushya Mandapam at Tiruvaiyaru, Chakra Padithurai and Bhagavath Padithurai in Kumbakonam and in Vedaranyam seashore as well.
With no water in the river, two bore wells were sunk at Pushya Mandapam bathing ghat at Tiruvaiyaru where the devotees took a ``sacred bath'' and then offered propitiations with the assistance of the purohits present.
On the occasion, the processional deity of Sri Ayyarappar Swamy along with His divine consort Sri Dharmasamvardhini arrived at the Pushya Mandapam ghat in the morning where the teerthavari was performed.
In the night, the famous Thirukayilaya Katchi was performed at the temple in which thousands of devotees from various parts of the State participated.
In Kumbakonam, thousands offered tharpanam on the banks of the Mahamaham tank, Chakra Padithurai and Bhagavad Padithurai along the Cauvery riverbed.
In Nagapattinam district, thousands of people took a holy dip in the Sannathi Kadal at Vedaranyam and offered tharpanam to their forefathers. Hundreds took a dip at the Manikarnika Teertham near the Sri Vedaranyeswarar temple while several more performed the rituals after a bath at the Aathi Sethu sea at Kodiyakkarai beach. Special arrangements were made for the benefit of the devotees in those places.
