Thanjavur: Thousands of devotees in the Cauvery delta districts took a holy dip in the river and in the sea, and offered prayers to the departed souls on the occasion of `Aadi Amavasai’ today.

After taking a dip in the river and performing rituals on its banks, people offered prayers at temples. Special poojas were performed to the presiding deity.

A large number of devotees thronged the Pushya Mandapam bathing ghat in Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur district, and performed Tarpanams to their ancestors. Special prayers were also offered at the Navagraha temples in and around Kumbakonam, where a large number of people conducted `Pithru Poojas’. The rituals were performed to appease the ancestors and forefathers, at river banks and seashores in the Cauvery delta districts.

Special prayers and Pitru poojas were also offered at the Vedaranyeswarar temple in Vedarayam. Additional police personnel were deployed to manage the crowd at all places.