How To Celebrate Aadi Perukku?

The month of Aadi is one of the most auspicious months in the Tamil Calendar. There are a few days in this month which are of even more significance. One of them is the
Aadi Padinettam Perukku or Aadi Perukku, which is the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi. 

The early morning ( before 6AM) we light the lamp ,make 2 manjal pillayar and offer a bowl of raw rice mixed with jaggery. We (only ladies)tie a yellow rope by ourselves.In the afternoon, we offer 5 rice dishes along with vada ,do the poojas and we eat it heartily. 

The Padinettam perukku is celebrated to pay the respects to the river Cauvery. On this day, a variety of rice items Such as  Coconut Rice,Lemon Rice,Sweet Pongal,Tamarind Rice,Curd Rice, Payasam,Medu Vadai and Appalam. prepared and packed and people used to walk up to the banks of the river Cauvery and enjoy their meal. 

The festival pays tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. For the blessing of mankind with peace, prosperity and happiness, nature worship in the form of Amman deities are organized to shower Nature’s bountiful grace on human beings.

This festival is celebrated mainly by people residing along the banks of the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. Special prayers and poojas are done in temples and people pray for a good harvest, constant supply of water and hassle free monsoon. It is also known as Pathinettam perukku and ‘perukku’ means ‘rising.’. It is celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells etc. of Tamil Nadu when the water level in the rises significantly heralding the onset of Monsoon.

MulaipariandAdiperukku:

Mulaipari (Sprouting or Germination of Nine Grains or Navadhanyam in a basket or clay mud pots) is a very important ritual which takes place at almost every village Goddess celebration. In its most original form, it is an exclusively women’s ritual and is of great importance for the whole village. 

The participants of the processions carry earthen pots with grown grains (nine different types of grains) inside on their heads and walk towards a river where the content is dissolved. The procession is accompanied by Amman. The ritual is very elaborate. Before the procession starts, special songs and dances ( Kummi Pattu, Kummi ) are performed. The original meaning of the ritual performance is a request to the village Goddess for rain and fertility of land, in order to secure a rich harvest. 

On the day, all family members make a trip to the riverbank and prepare a special lamp using rice flour and jaggery (maavilakku), which is placed on mango leaves and lit. Flowers, turmeric and a yellow thread are also placed on the mango leaves. Women float the lamps along with the mango leaves and other accompaniments in the river. 

Special delicacies are prepared on the day and family members are joined by relatives and friends. People also prepare several varieties of rice including the popular ‘chithrannam.’ Family members go on a picnic to riverbanks along with the food prepared. The riverbank or seashore picnic is a major event in some districts in Tamil Nadu on the day. 

In some regions in Tamil Nadu, son-in-law is invited to home and is given gifts on the day. Usually during Aadi month, the newly wed brides spend the month at her parent’s home and on Aadi 18 Perukku, a gold coin is added to the thali or mangalsutra in some southern districts of the state. 

Aadi 18 Lunch Menu

• Lemon Rice
• Coconut Rice
• Sweet Pongal V1 / Sweet Pongal V2
• Tamarind Rice
• Curd Rice
• Ulundu Vada
• Sago Payasam
• Appalam

Other Variations:

• Payasam Recipes
• Kalakandu Sadam
• 5 Arisi Pongal
• Thengai Podi Sadam
• Maanga Sadam