Over 4,000 students of Dr. MGR-Janaki Women’s College celebrated Aadi Perukku, a Tamil festival observed on the eighteenth day of the Tamil month of Aadi to express gratitude for rivers. Donning half-sarees and sarees, students performed many traditional practices, capturing the essence of the occasion.
During the celebration, students participated in the ‘mulaipari’ worship, carrying earthen pots filled with sprouts from nine different types of grains and legumes. The girls floated lamps in a small pond, in a symbolic reenactment of the traditional practice typically performed in rivers. They enjoyed ‘chitrannam’, which included different varieties of rice such as lemon rice, tamarind rice, and coconut rice.
Highligting the theme of ‘save water’, students performed several folk dances, including ‘kummiyattam’, a dance done in a circle while holding each other’s hands or waists; ‘thappattam’, characterised by the rhythmic beats of the ‘thappu’, one of the oldest percussion instruments in the world; ‘oyilattam’, another popular form of group dance; ‘mayilattam’, the peacock dance; and ‘kaavadi aattam’, a dance offering to Tamil God, Lord Murugan.
In his comments, Dr. Kumar Rajendran, Chairman, Dr. MGR Janaki College for Women, “Rivers are the sources of prosperity especially for the farmers. Functions like Aadi Perukku are celebrated to thank and honour rivers in Tamil culture, from time immemorial. However, the reverence for rivers and other water bodies is needed today more than they did in the past, considering the widespread environmental deterioration across the world. Hence, at our college we organise Aadi Perukku and encourage our students to participate in cultural activities associated with the function to promote awareness about water usage and conservation and revival of water bodies.”
The event also featured experts discussing the social, cultural, and environmental significance of Aadi Perukku, as well as traditional practices, music, and dance forms of Tamil culture.