Aadi Perukku is a popular festival observed during the fourth month in the Hindu calendar which comes during the month between mid of July to mid of August. This marks the beginning of Dakshinayana which indicates the transition of Sun to the south. This festival is widely celebrated in Southern region of India especially in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil, the word Aadi means the fourth month in the calendar and the word Perukku means abundance. This festival is believed to bring in abundance of health, wealth and good fortune to the people.
Celebrations of Aadi Perukku
India has always been closely associated with agriculture and every festival people celebrate has its roots in agriculture. Aadi Perukku is considered the ideal time for sowing of seeds for annual crops like paddy and other rooting plants and vegetation. People believe that sowing crops on this day will bring in good harvest. Scientifically also this makes a lot of sense as this season is the beginning of rainfall in most parts of the country and is considered the best time to sow crops.
People living in urban areas celebrate the festival in a different way with more rituals and elaborate cuisines. Many people believe that buying any new assets on this day will bring in good fortune and will go for shopping. In temples and at home, people worship the Goddess Kanakadhara which is a form of Goddess Lakshmi. In some regions, this festival is also celebrated by worshipping the Cauvery river. This festival is also known as Padinettam Perukku. Usually this festival is observed by women and they offer rice, flowers and other materials to the rivers and lakes on this auspicious day. Various dishes made of rice like Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice, Coconut Rice, Curd Rice, Sweet Pongal and vada are offered to the deity. People celebrate this festival with great joy and deep belief in the religion. There are many places where people perform different sorts of Pooja and Yagna also. Hence, this festival has great importance in the Tamil Nadu region of India.