Devotees gear up for Adi festivals

People and devotees are gearing up for a clutch of festivals and events scheduled for Tuesday. While Adi 18 will be celebrated in a grand manner along the banks of the Cauvery as a mark of thanksgiving to the river, Adi Amavasai is a revered day when the family forefathers will be remembered and revered. This year, incidentally, planet Jupiter (Guru) transits from Simha Rasi to Kanya Rasi on Tuesday and thousands of devotees are expected to throng specific ‘Guru’ shrines in the delta districts.

The Adi 18 festival is a day when peasants and public, especially the newly weds propitiate the Cauvery for the bounty she bestows on them through good harvest. The newly weds will let afloat their marriage garlands down the river while the elderly women offer special prayers to the river goddess and adorn themselves with fresh mangalasutra.

Children in Thanjavur region used to playfully drag small colourful chariots on their way to frolicking in the river waters with their parents and relatives. Elders offer kaadholai, karuga mani and in some places glass bangles to the river as a mark of respect. With Adi Amavasai falling on the same day, heads of families offer rice and sesame seeds with sacred water to propitiate the forefathers and seek their blessings. The Adi Amavasai day is especially auspicious to offer ‘tharpanam’ to 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.

The day assumes celestial importance with the annual transit of Planet Jupiter (Guru Bhagwan) from Simha Rasi to Kanya Rasi. Thousands of devotees are expected to throng important shrines such as Vasishteshwarar temple at Thittai in Thanjavur district where Guru Bhagwan is adored as Rajaguru, Abathsagayeswarar temple at Alangudi in Tiruvarur district and in other Shiva temples where Navagraha idols are established.

In Tiruvaiyaru, at the Ayyarappar temple under the administrative control of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, the Appar Thirukayilaya Katchi will be held on Tuesday.

With water flowing down the River Cauvery, Vennar and Grand Anicut Canal as also at Grand Anicut, thousands of people are gearing up to celebrate and relish Adi festivals in the delta region.