Overview

• Major pilgrimage sites such as the Agni Theertham sea, the 22 wells at Ramanathaswamy Temple and the Srirangam temple tank saw early-morning purification dips before Pithru Tharpanam rituals.
• Thousands converged at Chennai’s Kapaleeshwarar Temple tank and Erode’s Cauvery ghats, including Bhavani Kooduthurai, Kodumudi and Karungalpalayam, to perform ancestral offerings of sesame seeds, rice and water.
• Families chanted mantras while floating lamps and pinda daan tokens into the Cauvery River and made charitable donations as part of the day’s rites.
• Local authorities and temple volunteers managed traffic and regulated river discharge, issuing safety advisories at high-flow points to ensure orderly ceremonies.
• Participants described the festival as a vital spiritual link to departed loved ones and a testament to the enduring cultural importance of ancestor worship in Tamil Hindu tradition.