Aadi Maasam/Aadi Thizhuvizha - Part 1

Yesterday was the huge Aadi Thizhuvizha at Nagathamman temple, the culmination of 10 days of festivity and processions starting with Paal Kudam and ending yesterday with Koozhu in the morning and the final grand procession at night. I am tired, exhausted and totally beat but with a camera load of not magazine quality but really good Aadi-smacking pictures. Aadi signifies everything Tamil to me - Tamil music (Urumi), Tamil cuisine (Koozhu, Kazhuvattu Kuzhambu) and Tamil customs and having been ignorant of all of this for most of my life, I am finally waking up to these traditions. I finally sat down to write this long-pending piece on Aadi. At home, Aadi Maasam is THE most hectic, activity packed month of the year.

Before marriage I had no clue about Aadi other than the Aadi thallupadi (Aadi discount sales) that happens at this time of the year. But Aadi is huge in my in-laws place. It’s the most important occasion of the year even more than Diwali. Aadi for other clueless folks like me is the fourth month of the Tamil Calendar and is usually considered in-auspicious for weddings. Newly married girls are sent off to their mother’s places during this month. Why? Thank Bhagyaraj who famously busted this Aadi-myth in one of his movies. It has nothing to do with Aadi, there’s a very practical though embarrassing reason for this. If women get pregnant during the month of Aadi, they’ll give birth during peak summer which is a very tough time for small babies (maybe not so relevant in this age).

 Aadi is generally very special for women and for farmers. Amman (Goddess Durga, Shakti) temples are the centre of action during this month, apart from Lifestyle and Chennai Silks. Picture this: Huge speakers outside the temples blare L.R.Easwari songs, massive lighted Amman cut-outs flank the road leading to the temple, women march to the temple with turmeric smeared, neem-leaves wreathed milk pots (paal kudam) for abishegam, evenings the Amman idol is decorated and taken around the streets of the temple in procession, and then the culmination of all the Aadi festivities in the Aadi thizhuvzha, where Koozhu (Ragi porridge is traditional poor man’s food) is served along with Drumstick leaves poriyal and Kazhuvattu Kuzhambu. In cities, you’ll see the urumi only during the Aadi month. This is a traditional hour-glass shaped drum that is played at Amman temples when the Amman descends onto men and women (Saami aadaradhu) or that’s what they claim and for a brief few minutes, these ordinary men and women are the goddess Amman herself and they predict stuff and advice people on their problems (kuri solradhu). The rhythmic urumi beats are so catchy that it’ll have anyone dancing to it; my kids can’t seem to stand still when they hear it. I struggle to keep them from breaking into a kuthu dance right there.

Glass bangles are offered to Amman during “Aadi Pooram” like in a Seemandham (baby shower). These bangles which are then distributed to women are believed to bless the women with children. “Aadi Chevvai” and “Aadi Velli” are considered special for women and women visit temples on these days. Chevvais and Vellis are Tuesdays and Fridays; every Tuesday and Friday in Aadi are special. “Aadi perukku” is the 18^th day of Aadi and is a type of thanksgiving for the monsoon celebrated by farmers. Perukku refers to the overflowing rivers. 

Part II on Paal Kudam and Koozhu Festival