Every monsoon, Tamil Nadu commemorates the life-giving and sustaining nature of water with the Aadi Perukku festival.
We all know the diversity of India, with almost every state having its cultural traditions and festivals. While getting acquainted with the sheer diversity of the rituals and knowing them is intriguing, there are some rituals in some parts of the country that may seem bizarre. We will talk about one of them today.
Tamil Nadu is a culturally rich state that cherishes its ancient traditions to the core. Every monsoon, Tamil Nadu commemorates the life-giving and sustaining nature of water with the Aadi Perukku festival. This celebration includes nature worship for every Tamilian family to receive heavenly blessings for their well-being, tranquility and prosperity. Many rituals form part of Aadi Perukku celebrations. Of all the ritualistic practices, the practice of breaking coconut on the devotee’s head is the one that sets it apart.
The breaking of coconuts on devotees’ heads represents breaking free from one’s past and surrendering to God. Thousands of people queue outside the gates of Mahalakshmi Temple in Karur, Tamil Nadu, to obtain blessings on this thanksgiving festival. We have to mention here that it depends on a worshipper if they want to follow the ritual.
People, of course, sustain injuries in the head as a result of this practice. While some run to the doctor’s clinic for first aid care, which may include a few stitches, many devotees refuse medical treatment out of veneration for the deity or fear of incurring the deity’s wrath.
There are two different stories about the origin of this strange ritual. According to a very old story, thousands of years ago, devotees used to worship Lord Shiva at this place but the Lord did not appear to them even after the worship.
Likening a coconut to the three-eyed face of Lord Shiva, they then started breaking coconuts on their heads to please Lord Shiva after which he is said to have appeared before them. The ritual has continued since.
According to an IndiaTimes report, the second story is that during the British Raj, this temple was to be demolished and a railway line was to be built here. But the villagers were against the move.
During the construction of the temple, about 187 coconut sized stones were collected from the nearby river. The British reportedly presented a condition that the temple would not be demolished if the villagers could break the stones with their heads, something that the villagers accomplished. Since then, the practice of breaking coconuts on the head started at the temple.
Despite facing such hardships, Pratiksha Tondwalkar determination did not deter her. “I knew I was not meant for this. I saw people working at the office and I knew I wanted to be one of them,” she said.
Starting as a sweeper at the State Bank of India to becoming one of the bank’s top official, Pratiksha Tondwalkar’s journey is truly an inspiration to all. Born in Pune, Tondwalkar came from a very humble background. Due to the fact that she belonged to a poor family, she could not continue her studies and was married off at the age of 16. Along with her husband, Sadashiv Kadu, she came and settled in Mumbai. Kadu worked as a book binder at SBI’s Mumbai branch. After the birth of their first son, the couple decided to seek the blessings of the almighty and set out on a trip to their village.
The trip turned out to be a turning point in Tondwalkar’s life. On the trip, Kadu met with an accident and lost his life. Widowed at the age of 20, Tondwalkar was left alone to take care of her son. To support the family, Tondwalkar picked up several odd jobs. Eventually, she landed a job as a sweeper at the same bank her husband used to work.
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