Aadi Pirappu Day - History, Meaning, Significance, And Celebration

In the Tamil calendar, Aadi month (July 17th – August 16th) is the 4th month. The six months that follow Aadi and extend upto Margazhi is the 'Dakshinayana Punyakalam'. It marks the onset of the night of the gods or Devas. Some important festivals are celebrated in Aadi month. Aadi Pirappu is one of them.

Meaning of Aadi Pirappu Day

Aadi Pirappu is the first day in the month of Aadi, and it is the day of the monsoon festival. This festival pays tribute to water and its life-sustaining properties. By celebrating Aadi Pirappu, we show our gratitude to water because without water, we cannot survive or grow food crops.

Significance of Aadi Pirappu Day

Aadi Pirappu is celebrated to express gratitude to water. The celebrations are usually held near the banks of rivers and other water bodies. It is a very important festival in south India, especially. People pay homage to all the water goddesses on this day.

Celebrating Aadi Pirappu Day

The Tamil month of Aadi marks the onset of the monsoon season in Tamil Nadu. During this time, due to copious rains, the water level in the rivers increases. The rivers overflow their banks, and the dry and parched land comes to life again. A good monsoon also benefits farmers, whose crops need water. So people, especially in rural areas, celebrate Aadi Pirappu to thank nature which helps create abundance in their lives. Aadi Pirappu is a South Indian festival and enjoys great prominence, especially in Tamilnadu.

History of Aadi Pirappu

Aadi Pirappu is a festival that has been celebrated for a long time in the southern parts of the country. The first day of the month is usually July 16th or 17th. This year, it is on the 17th of July. This day is also special for newly-married couples. In many homes, a special Pooja is performed. Some special food items are also prepared on this occasion. They include Payasam (Kheer), Vadais, and Puran Poli.

Aadi Perukku

During the monsoon, peninsular rivers fill up with water. The rivers will be in free flow with fresh water from the rains. Kaveri is one of the many rivers that are fed by rainwater. Aadi Perukku or Pathinettaam Perukku is celebrated by Tamils to mark the extra flow in the Kaveri.

This is seen in the places where the Kaveri flows, particularly in the Kaveri Delta region. The festival is observed in the first week of August. The Goddess is worshipped in the form of Kaveri river on Aadi Perukku.

Aadi Perukku rituals

Many kinds of rice dishes are cooked, and people walk to the river bank carrying he dishes and Pooja items. Children pull small and decorated wooden carts called Chapparam. An idol or image of the deity is kept on the Chapparam and decorated with flowers. On reaching the river, an idol is created from the river mud. Deities are invoked, and a Pooja is performed. Once the Pooja is over, the food items are consumed.

The dishes include Sakkarai pongal (sweet rice), Thengai sadam (coconut rice), Ellu sadam (sesame rice), Puliyodharai (tamarind rice), Thayir sadam (curd rice). Today, Aadi Perukku festival is observed in a more simple manner. A Kumbham or traditional water pot is filled with water. Then it is decorated, and the water goddesss are invited into it. The deities are thanked for the past prosperity, and their blessings are invoked for future prosperity. The food dishes are also offered to the deities.

All Fridays in Aadi month or Aadi Vellis and the Goddess is worshipped on these days. On Aadi Velli days, women make Kozhukattais ( rice dumplings) and light Maavilakku (a lamp made using sweetened flour). Three varieties of Kozhukattais are usually prepared. There is a sweet one, a salty one, and also Veruma Kozhukattai. For the Maavilakku, ghee is poured on a foundation of sweetened flour, and it is lit. The lamps are dedicated to the Goddess, and when the lamp gets extinguished, the flour is eaten. On Aadi Vellis, usually, Abishekham is performed for Ambal in temples, and Lalitha Sahasranama Archana is also done.

During Aadi Perukku, Goddess Annapoorneshwari becomes full of joy and is all-giving. She can bestow abundance in the form of food grains, wealth, fertility, and success and remove all kinds of obstacles. Aadi Perukku is one of the best times in the year to pray to propitiate Goddess Annapoorneshwari, the incarnation of Goddess Parvati, who fed the entire universe can grant you fullness, affluence, and bliss in all your endeavors.

There is a scriptural story supporting blessings for desire fulfillment and prosperity on this day. Aadi Perukku was the day when Shiva and Vishnu appeared in a single form as Sankaranarayana at the sacred energy vortex named Sankarankovil, upon the request of Goddess Parvati as Gomati. Hence, the day is considered highly auspicious to fulfill your desires and fill your life with richness.

Two Sumangalis or married women are invited home and honored. Lunch is also served to them. This is because Sumangalis are seen as human manifestations of the Goddess herself.

Aadi month 2021 is from July 17 – August 16.