Aadi Perukku
ஆடிப் பெருக்கு
3 Aug 2027
ஆடி 18 3 AugAmma Mandapam ghat, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, and Cauvery ghats
On the 18th day of Aadi, families gather at the Cauvery and other rivers to thank the water for the monsoon swell.
18th day of Aadi.
Aadi Perukku (also Aadi Pathinettu, "Aadi 18") falls on the eighteenth day of the Tamil month of Aadi, in late July or early August, when the south-west monsoon has filled the Cauvery and other rivers. It is a thanksgiving to water, observed most strongly in the Cauvery delta.
Families, especially women, go to the river ghats with lamps, flowers, turmeric, betel and offerings of different rices (chitrannam: lemon, tamarind, coconut, curd and sweet rice). They worship the river, float lamps, and tie new yellow threads; newly married couples often visit together and may float their wedding garlands.
The Amma Mandapam ghat at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli is among the busiest; Lord Ranganatha's procession comes to the river and offerings are made to the Cauvery. Large gatherings also take place at Mettur, Bhavani Kooduthurai, Hogenakkal, Thiruvaiyaru, Kumbakonam and at Poompuhar, where the Cauvery meets the sea.
For a visitor it is a chance to see the river towns of the delta at their most lively, with ghats full of families and food shared on the steps.
Good to know
- River currents are strong in Aadi: stay on the steps, do not swim, and follow police and fire-service warnings at the ghats.
- Bathing may be restricted at some ghats when dams release water; check district announcements on the day.
- Go early in the morning; ghats like Amma Mandapam are packed by mid-morning.
- Dress modestly and carry a change of clothes if you plan to step into the water.
