Aadi - The month of festivities

By GS Jayashree

Aadi is the fourth month of the Tamil calendar which starts from July16th. It is believed that Lord Surya (Sun god) changes his direction from north to south in the month of Aadi. The next six months from Aadi to Margazhi is the Dakshinayana punyakalam – symbolically the night time of the Devas. Traditionally, most people avoid auspicious ceremonies during this period. It is believed that the ceremonies held during this period will not have the blessings of the gods. Another reason is that the month of Aadi culminates with the start of the rains in the country. Being an agrarian country, people get involved in agricultural activities in this month. So they do not have the time and money to partake in festivities in this month. So ceremonies which incur huge expenses like marriage, house warming ceremony, changing the house, buying of land and building of houses are avoided. The next reason is that this month is considered very auspicious for the worship of Goddess Amman. So people are involved in various spiritual activities rather than in festivities. However, a few important celebrations and rituals take place in the month of Aadi. Aadi Pirappu: July 16th, 2008 – The first day of every month is usually celebrated by Tamilians and the first day of Aadi is celebrated as Aadi Pirappu. No significance is attached to such rituals though, by the Vedas or Agamas. These festivals are traditionally celebrated and have no religious ratification. What we should do: Visit the temple and seek the Almighty’s blessing. This will keep our mind calm and focused. It will also be an auspicious start for the month. Aadi Krithigai: July 27th, 2008 – This is an important festival celebrated in the Tamil month of Aadi. The festival is dedicated to Lord Muruga or Subrahamaniya. Devotees carry flower Kavadis on Aadi Krithigai day. What we should do: Do upavas or eat food without salt. This will bring in the grace of lord Muruga. Aadi Amavasai: August 1st, 2008 – The new moon day in the Tamil month Aadi is dedicated to ancestors. The main rites and rituals on the day are dedicated to forefathers and many people observe ‘upavas’ or fast. Tarpana will also be done on this day. Thousands of people take a holy dip in the various rivers, seas and ponds. Agni Theertham in Rameswaram, Thriveni Sangamam in Kanyakumari are favoured. What we should do: Tarpana or any rituals to pay respect to our forefathers. We can also offer good food to poor people or Brahmins. This will bless our lineage and also act as a guard for the continuation of the lineage. If possible a holy dip can be done. Aadi Perukku: August 2nd, 2008. This is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil Month Aadi. ‘Perukku’ means rising – indicating the rising water in rivers. The festival is essentially a form of nature worship. Special food is prepared on this day and family and friends get together and pray for uninterrupted supply of water and a good harvest. In some communities on Aadi Perukku day, the bride’s parents invite their son-in-law and present new clothes. What we should do: Offer thanks to the Almighty for all the blessings he has given us and for protecting us. Mass prayer or satsangh or bhajans can be organized. Aadi Puram: August 8th, 2008. This is to celebrate the birth of Andal who is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Aadi is the fourth month in the Tamil Calendar and Pooram is one of the 27 nakshatrams or stars. The day is also celebrated as the birthday of Andal – Saint Poet who wrote Tiruppaavai and is also considered as a manifestation of the mother Goddess. What we should do: This festival indicates that the atma or the soul of a man should finally merge with parabrahamam. Prayers to Andal and visiting any Amman temple will help our soul to move in that direction. It is believed observance of fast on this day by unmarried girls will get them a good spouse. Varalakshmi Pooja: August 15th, 2008. This pooja, done by women, falls in the month of Aadi. Women observe fast (Vratha) for the wellbeing of the family. What we should do: Offering food, turmeric, betel leaf to women on this day will give happiness. Taking the blessings of the Almighty and elders will give us a lot of strength and goodness. Tuesdays and Fridays in the month of Aadi are considered auspicious. Lighting lamps, doing chanting or namavalli puja {chanting the 108 names of the goddess} will help us to remove the difficulties in life. Karya siddhi or success in the undertaken work will also happen. General happiness of the family will be there. In south India, people offer porridge to the goddess. Then they are distributed to the people of various castes and creed. This shows we are all one and the same before god. Earlier, newly-wed couples were separated during the month of Aadi by some communities. The bride’s parents used to invite the bride back home. This was because women who conceived during the Aadi month used to give birth during April – May, the hottest months. In earlier days, when there were no hospitals, the infant mortality rate used to be high during the hot months. In modern times, a much-awaited event is the Aadi discount sale, especially of textiles and jewelry.