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Aadi Perukku (Aadi 18): the Tamil festival of the rising river
Families feast on the Kaveri's banks to greet the monsoon flood
Aadi Perukku, also called Aadi 18 or Pathinettam Perukku, is the Tamil festival held on the 18th day of the month of Aadi, when the south-west monsoon is expected to swell the Kaveri and other rivers. Families go down to the water with rice, turmeric, flowers and lamps to thank the river, and farmers begin sowing. The next one falls on 3 August 2027 (expected); district collectors along the Kaveri declare a local holiday a few days before.
The date follows the Tamil solar calendar; district collectors along the Kaveri declare a local holiday a few days before.
The legend
Aadi Perukku falls on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, when the monsoon swells the Kaveri and other rivers.
The festival is mentioned in the Silappathikaram and other works of Sangam-era Tamil literature.
Rising water means plenty: farmers begin sowing on this day, and families give thanks to the river.
Customs
Gifts to the river
On the banks of the Kaveri people offer rice, turmeric and flowers to the river and light oil lamps.
A new thaali
Married women change their thaali, the sacred marriage thread, and young women ask the goddess Amman for a good match.
What the festival means
The festival is a date and a river. Aadi is the fourth month of the Tamil calendar, beginning when the Sun enters Cancer in mid-July, and by its 18th day the monsoon rains in the hills upstream have usually reached the plains. Rising water means a good season, so the festival is a thanksgiving to the river as a giver of life, and the day farmers start sowing.
It is an old festival: the Silappathikaram and other works of Sangam-era Tamil literature mention it. It is often described as the only Tamil festival kept strictly by the date rather than by a star or a weekday. In the Kongu region of western Tamil Nadu it is known as Aadi Nombi, 'nombi' meaning festival.
There is no procession and no ticket. Aadi Perukku is a family day at the water's edge, kept by households all along the delta on the same day.
What people do on Aadi 18
Customs vary from family to family and district to district; these are the ones most widely kept.
- Gifts to the river — On the ghats and riverbanks people take a holy dip, offer rice, turmeric and flowers to the water, light oil lamps and share sweets.
- A new thaali — Married women change their thaali, the sacred marriage thread; for newlywed brides a senior married woman of the family ties the new one. Young women pray to the goddess Amman for a good match, and married women hold a symbolic baby shower for the goddess, praying for children.
- Wedding garlands on the water — Newlywed couples float their wedding garlands down the river, asking the blessing of their ancestors.
- The goddesses of the day — Families worship Amman and the Saptha Kanniyar, the seven mother goddesses, whose worship on this day is believed to fulfil wishes. At home people hang thooris, swings tied with rope or saris to trees and ceilings.
Where to see it
The festival belongs to Tamil Nadu, above all to the towns and villages along the Kaveri and its delta: Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Erode, Salem and Karur.
The best-known place is the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli. Rituals there are believed to carry the blessing of Ranganatha of Srirangam, and the ghat is where crowds of newlyweds come to change the thaali and float their garlands. Before the festival the district collector and city officials have inspected safety at the ghat, with police and fire crews deployed for the crowds.
In some years the Kaveri here is low or even dry. The festival still goes ahead: in one such year the city set up temporary showers at the ghat, and families kept the rituals on the riverbed or at temple tanks and wells. It is a festival to see if you are already in the delta at the start of August, not one to cross the country for.
Visiting the ghats
The rituals on the bank are family rites, often a couple's first festival together. Watch from the steps, keep out of the way of the families at the water, and ask before photographing anyone.
FAQ
Which date is Aadi 18?
Aadi 18 is the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, which falls on 2 or 3 August. Next: 3 August 2027 (expected).
What month is Aadi in English?
Aadi is the fourth month of the Tamil solar calendar, from mid-July to mid-August. It begins when the Sun enters Cancer.
What should we do on Aadi Perukku?
Traditionally families go to a river or tank, take a dip, offer rice, turmeric and flowers to the water and light oil lamps. Married women change their thaali, and newlyweds float their wedding garlands on the river.
In which Indian state is Aadi Perukku celebrated?
In Tamil Nadu, especially along the Kaveri: Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Erode, Salem and Karur. In the Kongu region it is called Aadi Nombi.
Is Aadi Perukku a holiday?
Often yes, locally: district collectors along the Kaveri usually declare a local holiday for the day a few days in advance.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.