Aadi month: Keeping Tamil traditions alive through changing times

CHENNAI: As Aadi draws to a close, the month leaves behind more than temple visits, special food and family gatherings. For generations, Aadi has been tied to the agricultural cycle, the arrival of water and the worship of Shakti. While the way it is observed has changed with time, many of its traditions continue to find a place in both villages and cities.

Historian Meenakshi Devaraj says Aadi has traditionally been as important to agriculture as Thai. “Just as the harvest Pongal festival was celebrated with grandeur, the seed-sowing month of Aadi was also celebrated. References to Aadi Perukku can be found in literature dating back to the Sangam period. The festival marks the rise of water levels in rivers and the beginning of a period important to farming. Several Tamil proverbs also speak of the significance of Aadi in the agricultural calendar,” she says.

Over time, the month took on a stronger association with the worship of female deities, particularly Mariamman. “When the cult of women worship emerged, the Mariamman worship that you see now in Aadi would have emerged,” adds Meenakshi.

The agricultural roots of the month can still be seen in the way Aadi is celebrated. In Chennai, residential communities organise Aadi celebrations, while Mariamman temples see women gathering for special prayers and offerings. Food remains an important part of these occasions.

Meenakshi points to koozh and other traditional preparations as examples of food that connect present-day celebrations with older practices. “Kumba soru, a preparation where meat, fish and rice are brought together and made into a heap as an offering to Mariamman, bears a striking resemblance to the ‘Perum Soru’ mentioned in early Tamil literature,” she tells us.

Pongal pots lined up outside Mariamman temples are another familiar sight during the month. She says traditional Pongal cooked over a firewood stove can sometimes be seen more commonly in Chennai during Aadi than during the Pongal festival itself.

For contemporary artist and educator Radha Kannan, Aadi is closely tied to memories of her hometown, Sirkazhi near Chidambaram and its agricultural landscape. “Aadi is an important month for agriculture. The southwest monsoon starts around June in Kerala and other places and our water systems receive more water during this time. The Aadi winds are also very strong,” she says.

Aadi Perukku remains particularly important in the villages around the Cauvery. Families prepare several varieties of rice and take them to the riverbank, offering food and prayers as a gesture of gratitude for the water. “Even today, in villages, it happens with a lot of vigour and enthusiasm. Families spend time together on the riverbanks,” says Radha.

The month is also filled with different forms of worship. Aadi Fridays are associated with Amman and Shakti worship, while some communities observe serpent worship and other rituals connected with nature. Aadi Krithigai is dedicated to Murugan, while Aadi Pooram celebrates Andal and holds particular significance for Vaishnavites.

In cities, however, Aadi has inevitably changed. “Work, travel and busy schedules have made it difficult for many families to follow every tradition in the way previous generations did. But I feel that observing the month does not have to mean reproducing the past exactly. Remembering it in any small way matters. Whether they follow the rituals religiously or not, people still prepare traditional food and celebrate in whatever way they can,” observes the artist.

For her, keeping Aadi relevant is about understanding its meaning rather than simply repeating its rituals. “Life has changed now and we should adapt to those changes. At the same time, we shouldn’t forget our roots."

The best way to ensure that Aadi continues is to explain it to the next generation. “Parents can tell children the scientific reason behind these traditions. If we teach the young generation the significance of Aadi, I am sure they will follow the rituals and culture. When they know why we celebrate Aadi Perukku and the other festivals, they will understand their value,” concludes Radha.