"Adiperukku" festival celebrated with religious fervour

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 2 (UNI) ''Adiperukku'' festival, popularly known as ''Pathinettam perukku'' was celeberated in Tamil Nadu today with religious fervour, marked by offerings and prayers to rivers.

The festival is unique to South India especially Tamil Nadu.

The festival is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of 'Adi'. It is celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells when the water level in them increases significantly and heralds the onset of Monsoon.

In Tiruchirapalli and its suburbs, a large number of people along with their family members offered special poojas to the river Cauveri, on its banks.

A large number of newly weds also offered prayers on the banks of the Cauveri with a prayer that they should be blessed with all good things in life.

A large number of unmarried girls, with a belief that young girls who offer worship ''Kaadholai'' or earrings made of palm leaf, ''Karugamani'' (black beads) and ''Kaapparisi'' (a sweet made of hand pound rice and jaggery) will be blessed with good husbands. They offered special 'poojas' on other river banks at many places in Tiruchirapalli and Karur districts.

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