With the recent dry spell in India's southern Tamil Nadu state, priests in Madurai city offered prayers and performed special rituals on Wednesday for the conservation of the river Vaigai.
Prayers were chanted, musical instruments were played and 'aarti' was performed as the priests walked to the river bed of the river for the ceremony. Water brought from various rivers including the Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Indus, and Cauvery were offered in small wells as part of the ritual of the 12-day Vaigai festival.
"The main motive of this congregation is to safeguard (Vaigai) river. The safeguarding and preservation of the purity of the river is a sacred duty. And by doing so it is equivalent to the preservation of our tradition and culture. Rivers always help humanity in various ways," said Ramananta, festival coordinator.
He said that the preservation of rivers was a sacred duty as it was equivalent to the preservation of tradition and culture.
The Vaiga flows through Theni, Andipatti, and Madurai areas of the Tamil Nadu state.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
