With the Cauvery in full flow and water flowing in almost all major water courses across the delta districts after several years, the Aadi Perukku festival is expected to be celebrated with gaiety on Friday.
The festival, which falls on the 18th day of Tamil month Aadi, will witness thousands of people, especially newly weds, taking holy dips in the Cauvery and perform special pujas on its banks.
The festival is a celebration of the flow of water as farmers go in for cultivation during the ‘Aadi pattam.’ Given the copious flow in Cauvery, the festival is expected to be celebrated on a grand manner this year.
Collector K. Rajamani on Wednesday held a meeting with senior officials to review the arrangements being held for the festival and instructed the police to provide adequate security arrangements in places where people congregate in large numbers to take a dip in the Cauvery.
He also directed the police not to allow people to bath in the river in places where there was no bathing ghat available. The Fire and Rescue Service has also been instructed to be ready to launch rescue operations if necessary.
Senior police officials of the city have already inspected some of the bathing ghats in the city to finalise the security arrangements. On Thursday, Tiruchi Corporation workers were engaged in sprucing up the bathing ghats in the city and additional sanitary workers have been deployed to maintain cleanliness at the bathing areas.
Local holiday
The district administration has declared a local holiday on Friday. All educational institutions in the district will remain closed (without affected scheduled examinations) on the day, Collector K. Rajamani said in a press release.
August 18 would be a working day in lieu of the local holiday, he added.
