Coconuts smashed on Devotees' heads

On 04 August 2009, at the Mahalakshmi temple of Mettu Mahadanapuram near Krishnarayapuram, Karur district, Tamilnadu, India, a traditional annual ritual of breaking coconuts on the heads of devotees in fulfillment of a vow and in a plea to the gods for health and success was performed. This was the main part of the second day function of ‘Aadipperukku’. Thousands of people from many parts of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh participated. They crowded around devotees and a priest smashed a coconut each on every registered devotee’s head. As the coconuts broke into pieces, some devotees rubbed their heads and others collected the broken pieces of coconuts as a holy offering.