Chennai: IT's not happening in 'Aadi' in IT city

Chennai, July 29: Forget high-tech IT Parks and swanky malls dotting the metropolis. This most happening city still gripes with superstition especially in the Tamil month of 'Aadi' falling between the months of July and August.

No new ventures or anything auspicious takes place during this period. Marriage halls remain vacant and pedlars complain of lack of business.

Even newly-weds are not permitted to stay together in 'Aadi.' ''This is because if a woman conceives during Aadi, the child will be born in Chithirai (April-May), which is peak summer, causing problems during the birth,'' 56-year-old Kamakshi said.

Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre Executive Director P Iyam Perumal said, ''this is generally a personal and relegious belief and has nothing do with Science as such.

''Any woman who conceives during this month will deliver the child during peak summer which might be inconvenient for her,'' he reasoned.

So much so for superstition. But 'Aadi' also rings in joy for shoppers with huge discounts being offered to them on purchases.

Quite a few bargain hunters lop up trendy clothes and fancy footwear at dirt cheap prices with shops throwing in the most exciting offers to attract footfalls and customers.

Most of the action takes place in the shoppers fantasy Pondy Bazaar which is choc-a-bloc with famous textile showrooms like Pothys, Saravana Stores, Naidu Hall and Jayachandran.

The excitement in the air is palpable with dime-a-dozen banners, posters, hoardings and pamphlets highlighting the huge discounts some going even up to 70 per cent...all to prop up sales in the slack season.

However, S Kannan, owner of the famous Krishna Textiles, says they clear the inventory during the month.

Interestingly, the Tamil film industry famously called Kollywood, too, becomes superstitious in the month with new releases postponed to August...after 'Aadi.' 'Pallikoodam,' 'Urchagam,''Arya,' 'Oorampo,' 'Veerappu,' 'Solli Adippen' and 'Ammuvakiya Naan' have been 'programmed' to be released after Aadi.

Some claim 'Aadi' is significant for promotion of spiritualism and festivals in temples. Social activities would distract people's focus from spiritualism and hence they kept away from it. The farmers, too, take it as a holy month to worship Goddess Cauvery for providing water.

'Aadi' is certainly no Friday the 13, but all the same it is difficult to fend off some supersitions even among the educated elite steeped as they are in traditions.

UNI