Traditional fish harvest festival celebrated at Kallandhiri village

Madurai: Thousands of villagers gathered to participate in the annual fishing harvest festival at Kallandhiri village in Madurai district on Saturday morning.Villagers from five surrounding villages in Melur gathered at Kallandhiri for the celebration, which begins during the onset of the summer season.The festival is centred around the village temple on the banks of the Periyanagini kanmai. A week before the event, farmers release young fish into the kanmai, which is recharged by the Periyar channel. Posters and announcements are made in all the villages regarding the commencement of the festival, and everyone is invited to attend.The fish that are caught by the villagers as part of the celebrations are then cooked and offered to the village deity for better yield during the harvest and health for the rest of the year. As part of the tradition, people plunge into the water with little to no fishing gear and just a net or basket to catch the fish. Women, clad in sarees, waded deep into the water to catch the fish.