Srirangam, Oct. 10 -- Thousands of devotees and members of the public on Saturday gathered at the Cauvery River ghats in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, on the occasion of Mahalaya Amavasya in the Tamil month of Purattasi, to take a holy dip and perform rituals for their ancestors.

As it was a public holiday on Saturday, people from various districts across Tamil Nadu arrived early in the morning at Amma Mandapam, Ayyalamman Padithurai, Thillainayagi Padithurai and Odathurai ghats along the Cauvery River. After taking a holy dip, they performed tharpanam (ancestral rites) and offered prayers at nearby temples.

According to Hindu tradition, people who have lost their parents observe Amavasya by remembering their departed parents and ancestor...