Aadi Perukku (ஆடி பிருக்கு) or Adi 18 is an auspicious festival of Hindus belonging to the Tamil community. The Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil calendar month Aadi (ஆடி) which corresponds to the months of mid-July–mid-August according to the English calendar. Adi Perukku is also called 'Padinettam Perukku' because 'Padinettu' in Tamil means 'eighteen' and 'perukku' means 'to grow'. This water ritual is mainly observed by women living in the state of Tamil Nadu. Aadi Perukku, 2023 is on August 03, Thursday. Aadi Karthigai is on Wednesday, 09 August 2023.
Why is Adi Perukku celebrated?
The month of Aadi marks the beginning of the monsoon season in Tamil Nadu. In this season, due to the monsoon, the water level in the rivers increases. Therefore the month of Adi is favorable for uprooting, sowing and planting seeds and other types of vegetation. Hence, Adi Perukku is celebrated to express gratitude to nature and to thank the river Kaveri.
In addition, all perennial river sources in the state of Tamil Nadu including lakes are also worshiped. It is a special festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and is a unique event in South India.
How the Rituals of Adi Perukku Celebrated?
❀On the auspicious day of Aadi Perukku, women worship Devi Parvati. Various types of rice dishes are prepared and offered to the Goddess. Some commonly prepared rice dishes, which vary in ingredients, color or taste, include coconut rice, sweet pongal, curd rice, bahala rice, lemon rice and tamarind rice. Devotees also worship the holy river Maa Kaveri with offerings of rice, nuts and flowers.
❀The festival of Aadi Perukku is mainly celebrated by the families living on the banks of the river Kaveri. On this auspicious day, relatives and friends collectively pray for an intermittent supply of water that will eventually result in a good harvest. Devotees take a dip in the holy water. After the bath, they wear new clothes and perform some rituals at the bathing ghats on the banks of the Kaveri River. This is followed by the 'Abhishekam' of Kaveri Amman.
❀A special lamp is prepared from jaggery and rice flour. The lamp is placed on mango leaves, in which yellow thread, turmeric and flowers are also inserted. The lamp is lit by the women and it is floated in the river along with the sangat.
❀A special preparation of rice is prepared on the occasion of Aadi Perukku which is known as 'Kalandha Sadham'. After completing the puja, the devotees eat a feast with their families on the banks of the river. The whole event becomes like a picnic on the banks of the river Kaveri.
❀Young girls along with married women observe this auspicious puja. It is a popular belief that virgins who make offerings of Kapaparisi (a sweet dish made of jaggery and hand-crushed rice), Karugamani (black colored pearls) and Kadholai (earrings made of palm leaves) will be rewarded with good husbands. On the occasion of Adi Perukku, young women play and dance to the tunes of folk songs.
❀In some Tamil communities, on the day of Aadi Perukku, sons-in-law are invited and new clothes are presented. There is also a ritual in some districts of Tamil Nadu, in which the newly wed couple spend a month at their parents' house before Adi Perukku. Then on the day of Aadi Perukku, a gold coin is added to their 'mangalsutra' or 'thali' and they return with their husbands.
Weddings or other related events are not celebrated during Aadi month as it is considered inauspicious. Aadi Perukku is a festival of fertility that has been practiced and patronized since the time the kings and royal family ruled. The mention of this practice has also been found in many historical periods.
| Related Name | Aadi Perukku festival, Aadi Masam, Aadi Karthigai, Tamil Festival Aadi Perukku |
| Begins Tithi | Aadi Month 18th day |
| Reason | Adi Perukku is celebrated to express gratitude to nature and to thank the river Kaveri. |
| Celebrations | Prayer at Temple, Vrat, Puja at Home |
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