Devotees performing rituals at Amma Mandapam in Srirangam on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: C. Jaisankar
Hundreds of devotees thronged Amma Mandapam on the banks of the Cauvery in Srirangam on the occasion of Aadi Amavasai.
People offered tharpanam (a Hindu ritual of offering black sesame seeds and water) to their forefathers. Many prefer to perform the tharpanam on the banks of the Cauvery at Amma Mandapam bathing ghat, one of the most sought-after pilgrims spots in Srirangam.
The devotees, who came from different parts of the State, took a holy dip in the river and offered tharpanam. Some devotees visited Amma Mandapam before dawn. But they were not allowed to enter in the river as it was in spate. The authorities closed the paths leading to the river. Barricades had been put up along the vulnerable points. However, the devotees were allowed to take a dip at the Amma Mandapam bathing ghat, which has a protection to prevent the people from stepping into the river beyond a point.
The policemen and the Fire and Rescue Services personnel kept a close watch on the devotees to prevent them from entering the river at vulnerable points. Several devotees, after taking a dip, visited Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple to offer prayers.
Priests from Srirangam and Thiruvanaikoil, and a large number of priests from faraway places, including Puducherry, Villupuram, Dindigul, Thittakudi, and Vriddhachalam visited Amma Mandapam.
Kumar, a priest from Srirangam, said that more than 60,000 devotees performed rituals to their forefathers and ancestors at Amma Mandapam on Sunday.
Traffic was closed from Mambazhasalai to Srirangam via Amma Mandapam on Sunday morning because of heavy crowd.