Festivity, joy among Delta ryots as water released from Mettur flows into region

TIRUCHY: The Cauvery, rather venerated as the ‘Mother Cauvery’ has been considered not only as the lifeline of the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu but also venerated and worshipped as God and thus, the release of water from Mettur and the Cauvery flowing full is a festival to the farmers here who commence the new year of cultivation.

The River Cauvery basin lies in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry and there is a reason for the farmers from Tamil Nadu to cheer about the Cauvery when it flows brim full.

Of the total area of the basin, 41.2 percent falls in the state of Karnataka while Tamil Nadu enjoys the maximum area flow of over 55.5 per cent and 3.3 per cent in Kerala. Over 90 per cent of water from the river basin is utilized by agriculture.

After entering Tiruchy, the Cauvery flows through the Thanjavur, which has been well flourished by the Cauvery river and is termed to be “Granary of Tamil Nadu ‘’. Then the river enters the musical ‘tirtha’ of Tiruvaiyuru and then joins the sea at Poompuhar, which was previously called as “the Kaveripoompattinam’’, where” Kannagi” the legendary Tamil woman lived. Thus it has a vital role in the life of the people of Tamil Nadu, especially the farming community. “Cauvery does not play a role in irrigation alone but also most of the major religious festivals linger around the Cauvery and so we give a divine space for the Mother Cauvery”, said Ayilai Siva Sooriyan, Tiruchy district president of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association. True to his comments, the farmers as well as the public from the region used to accord a divine welcome to the Cauvery. “We sprinkle flowers and give an ‘arathi’ welcome to the Cauvery whenever it enters Tamil Nadu as a divine affair and throw the paddy seeds to mark the beginning of a new cultivation year with Kuruvai. Above all, we pray to Mother Cuavery to help us get a good harvest and the first day of the release of water will be a day of festivity,” Siva Sooriyan further said.

Meanwhile, in certain areas on the border of Tamil Nadu, the people used to prostrate before the river when it filled the land. “We make all kinds of rituals before making the water enter our field for irrigation. Though the government has been desilting the irrigation canals, we, on our part, make sure of the canals reach our fields. Prior to that, we perform rituals and poojas before commencing the cultivation,” said K Sundarajan, a farmer from Pattukkkottai.

Whenever water is released on the customary date of June 12, we never miss a bumper harvest. And this time too we are confident of another bumper harvest, says Sundarajan further.

He also said that the farmers from the locality collect a bowl of water from the fresh Cauvery and keep them in their houses as a ‘theertham’ and later sprinkle it in the land tilled and kept ready for cultivation.