Hundreds of people paid homage to ancestors on the banks of the Thamirabarani on the occasion of Mahalya Amavasai on Sunday.
In Tirunelveli, devotees gathered at the sacred bathing ghats along the river to perform ancestral rites. They took holy dip and offered ‘tarpanam’ using sesame seeds. Prominent among the ghats where the rituals were conducted included Papanasam, Ambasamudram, Kurukkuthurai, Vannarapettai, and Sindhupoonthurai.
In Tenkasi district, large crowds assembled along the main waterfall in Courtallam to perform rituals for their forefathers. Devottes bathed in the waterfall and conducted puja, as part of the customary rites.
Meanwhile, in Kanniyakumari a significant number of pilgrims gathered at Triveni Sangamam from early morning to perform ancestral rites. Numerous vendors of ritual items were also present in the areas to facilitate offerings.