Watch Rivers of Our Time - Kaveri River, India

The river Kaveri is among the most sacred rivers of India and revered as Dakshina Ganga or Ganges of the South. Rising from the hills at Talakaveri in Karnataka, it journeys down into Tamilnadu through a magnificent series of temple towns, famed for philosophy, art and music. The Kaveri river delta is a fertile and prosperous stretch of nearly 28000 square miles. People living along the Kaveri delta thank the river Goddess through a festival called Adi Perukku that falls in the month of August every year. The name translates as Adi or swell when the level of the water rises dramatically. Different communities may celebrate the festival differently - but the main purpose for all is to pay tribute to the Kaveri's life-sustaining properties. The ritual dates back to the ancient period and was patronized by royal households. It is a religious festival that celebrates the Kaveri's constant rebirth.