The fishing festival in most villages of Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu highlights the sense of unity among the residents of the town. People in thousands reach lakes and ponds to catch fish. This festival is held during summer when the water level starts receding and the lake is full of fish. The gathering consists of people from all castes, genders and ages. This festival is usually celebrated in April, May and June.
Pudukkottai district is a place with high water levels in the lakes, pond and Kanmai. In the summer, the water dries up leaving behind a bunch of fish to catch. This fishing festival is held in the Pudukkottai district every year. In some areas, after the rice harvest, a fishing festival is held in irrigated canals in the dry environment in summer. Irrespective of caste and religion, everyone unites at the ponds to catch the fish. The annual fishing festival is held to seek blessings from god for abundant rain and high yields.
Before the fishing festival, the various surrounding villages are informed about it beforehand. After they gather at the pond, the elders of the village commence fish hunting by giving the white light. Another unique thing about this festival is that people can catch fish with whatever they have. From nets to bare hands, a person is free to choose his equipment. Local fish such as Katla, Carp and Catfish are abundantly found in these lakes.
The fish caught in the fishing festival is not used for business but only for cooking and eating at home. The crowd at this fishing festival exudes a sense of unity among the villagers. As per the residents, the fishing festivals initially started during the Thondaiman rule in the district. Since people started fishing at any time, the concept of equality was lost. Therefore, the rulers decided to let the fish grow, and conduct a festival,” said Kadamban of a village in Pudukkottai district.
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