Mayiladuthurai: With just 10 days remaining for the famous Kadai Muga Theerthavari festival scheduled for November 16 at Mayiladuthurai's Cauvery Tula Ghat, the absence of water in the river has raised concerns among devotees and residents, as thousands of devotees are expected to visit Mayiladuthurai to take a holy dip in the Cauvery during the Aippasi festival. As the annual festival features the ceremonial procession of deities from prominent temples, including Mayuranathaswamy, Ayyarappar and Vadhanyeswarar to the Cauvery riverbanks for the sacred Theerthavari, the dry riverbed has cast uncertainty over the traditional religious celebrations. Social activist Appar Sundaram pointed out that the Cauvery River is currently in a severely depleted condition due to the presence of low water level in Mettur Dam.

"Usually, Cauvery water flows into the river during this period. However, this year, due to the low water level in Mettur Dam, the Cauvery River is currently in a severely depleted condition," Sundaram told ANI. With the Kadai Muga Theerthavari festival around the corner, social activist Appar Sundaram urged the Tamil Nadu government to release water from Mettur Dam well in advance, adding that the absence of water in the Cauvery River could affect thousands of devotees who travel long distances with the hope of taking a holy dip.

The activist further appealed to the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the availability of water before the traditional event, stressing that timely intervention by the government is essential to protect the traditional significance of the festival and prevent pilgrims from facing disappointment. "With just 10 days remaining for the festival, we urge the government to immediately release water into the Cauvery to facilitate the celebrations. We appeal to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to take necessary steps to ensure that this important festival of Mayiladuthurai is conducted in a grand manner. Deities from several prominent temples in and around Mayiladuthurai are brought to the Cauvery banks for the sacred Theerthavari. Thousands of devotees also visit the Tula Ghat to take a holy dip. Therefore, we strongly urge the government to release Cauvery water in advance so that the traditional religious rituals can be conducted without any hindrance and devotees are not disappointed," added Sundaram. 

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