Tamil Nadu devotees perform ancestral rites on Aadi Ammavasai

Thousands of devotees gathered across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to perform ‘pitru tharpanam’, traditional ancestral rituals, marking the new moon day of ‘Aadi Ammavasai’. Large crowds converged at various holy sites, including the beaches and river banks of Chennai, the Cauvery and Thamirabarani rivers, and major pilgrimage destinations such as Rameswaram and Kanyakumari.

At Rameswaram’s Agni Theertham beach, pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and neighboring states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka arrived at dawn to offer sesame and rice balls to their ancestors before bathing in the sacred ‘Theerthams’ of the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple. In Kanyakumari, devotees gathered at the Triveni Sangamam confluence as early as 4 am.

To manage the heavy footfall, authorities deployed over 500 police personnel and implemented one-way traffic systems. Coastal security patrols were also active to prevent accidents. Additionally, local civic bodies and volunteers worked to promote eco-friendly practices by replacing plastic bags with paper alternatives.