The first time I got curious about the Tamil month of Aadi was when I heard an Illayaraja song that never made it to the movie it was recorded for! The tea shop in Tirunelveli Town at the junction of Amman Sannidhi Street and East Car Street used to play this every morning, of course, after a round of Seerkazhi Govindarajan, TMS, and LR Eshwari.
Adippattam Thedi ChenNel Vidhai Pottu (“ஆடிப்பட்டம் தேடி செந்நெல் விதைபோட்டு”) was the song. I asked my grandfather, a retired Headmaster, the million-dollar question: Why do they sow in Aadi month? Because that is what the song says: “Wait for Aadi to sow your paddy.” My grandfather explained that Aadi is the month that signals the start of the rains, the monsoon. Therefore, what is sown in Aadi gets ready for harvest in time for Thai, the first day of which is Makara Sankranti or Thai Pongal.
Then came my second question: I understand why we sow during Aadi month. Why is it significant for all Amman temples?
On a lighter note, in those days, down south, Aadi was also called the LR Eshwari month because we invariably woke up every morning to her beautifully rendered Amman songs played on the loudspeaker in one nearby temple or the other.
Here is what I understood from my grandfather and a bit more.
Why Is Aadi Significant To Devi?
The Hindu calendar is divided into two Ayanas based on the movement of the Sun: Dakshinayana, the period when the sun begins to move southward in the earth’s sky, is also called the summer solstice, and Uttarayana when the sun moves northward, is also called the winter solstice.
Aadi signals the start of the Dakshinayana period when Surya’s chariot moves from the North to the South. During this period, days are shorter, and nights are longer. During this period, Surya enters Kataka (Cancer) rashi, the rashi of Chandra, the Moon. Surya is the Amsa or manifestation of Ishwara, and Chandra is the Shakti Amsa. As this is the month when the Ishwaramsa enters Shaktiamsa, this month assumes a greater significance when worshipping the Mother, Shakti.
Aadi – A Month Full Of Festivals
Aadi is a month full of action, starting with Adipperukku when the farmers worship the water bodies/ rivers. It is also when freshwater flows in after the season’s first rains. Married women pray to the Devi to bless them as Deerga Sumangais, leading a happy and prosperous married life with their husbands.
Then comes the Aadi Ammavasya – the day every significant for the Pitrus or forefathers. We also have Aadi Pooram, Naga Panchami, Varalakshmi Vratam, Aadi Thapasu (a very famous festival in Sankarankovil, Tamilnadu), Maha Sankatahara Chaturthi, Hayagriva Jayanti and Aadi Kirtigai. Andal of Srivilliputtur and Bhoomadevi were born in Aadi. Women worship the Tulsi plant at their houses on Suklapaksha Dwadasi for health and prosperity in their families.
All the Tuesdays and Fridays of this month are considered to be the most auspicious. Women in Tamil Nadu gather at temples to perform Thiruvilakku Poojai or worship the lamp. During the month of Aadi, people propitiate village gods, Kuladeivam (family gods) and Kavaldeivam (protectors of our villages, towns, and cities).
Weddings In Aadi
In Tamil Nadu, weddings are not conducted during the Aadi month. During Aadi, the bride is sent to her mother’s home while the groom remains at his place. So why do we not marry or consummate in Aadi?
What is a year for us human beings is a day in Devaloka. Aadi typically falls in the Sandhi or twilight. Sandhya Kalam is the time for penance and introspection. It is said to be the best time to meditate. Therefore, we avoid getting married while the Gods meditate to not disturb them by calling them to bless the married couple.
Another reason we don’t get married in Aadi is because a union in Aadi (July-August) may result in a birth in Chittirai (April-May). Chittirai is peak summer, which would be trouble for both the mother and the infant.
Aadi In Kerala
In Kerala, Aadi (Kaṟkkaṭakam in Malayalam) is called Ramayana Maasam or the month of Ramayana. This is the month the Keralites read Adhyatma Ramayana by Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, the father of modern Malayalam literature. The temples in Kerala also do a paarayana (devotional reading) of Adhyatma Ramayana every morning of the Kaṟkkaṭakam month.
How Did Aadi Become A “Discount” Month In TN?
For today’s consumer, Aadi is a dream month. It is the month of discounts when everything from a paperclip to a diamond necklace is on sale. There is a history to this. Our economy has traditionally been agrarian. We saw earlier that this is the month when the seeds are sown. Therefore, the farmer would have spent all his resources preparing his field and buying and sowing the seeds required. Hence, our ancestors thought it was prudent not to charge full price for anything that the farmer might need till his situation stabilises, and they gave things at a discount to the farmers. Today’s consumer economy has continued the ‘discount’ albeit on a larger scale, making it a month of discounts.
Thiruvalluvar says,
தென்புலத்தார் தெய்வம் விருந்தொக்கல் தானென்றாங்கு
ஐம்புலத்தாறு ஓம்பல் தலை.
Thenpulathaar Deivam Virundhokkal Thaanendraangu
Aimpulathaaru Ombal Thalai
Five are the householder’s duties: offering oblations to the dead, performing sacrifices to the Gods, offering hospitality, rendering help unto relations, and looking after oneself.
The Kural or The Maxims of Thiruvalluvar by VVS Iyer
What better month than Aadi to action what Tiruvalluvar wants us to do?
PS: Adippattam Thedi ChenNel Vidhai Pottu (“ஆடிப்பட்டம் தேடி செந்நெல் விதைபோட்டு”) was recorded for Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990). But this beautiful song was never used in the movie and only remained in the audio cassette.
Raja Baradwaj is a marketing communications professional who works with a leading technology multinational company. He is an avid reader, history buff, cricket player, writer, and Sanskrit and Dharma Sastra student.
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