“When the throat dried up due to heat,
And the moment it calls,
You melted with mercy,
And life's streams had started flowing.
Mother, Kaveri mother, you are our Mother.”
~ The English translation from Ricky Kej’s Cauvery song
Stretching across nearly 800km and flowing predominantly through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the Kaveri River is the lifeline of South India. Though we know her by a single name, this mighty river is the union of 21 major tributaries and countless smaller streams. Wherever the waters reach, the Kaveri enriches the land. The river quenches the thirst of all who live along the banks and sustains vast stretches of farmland and orchards, ensuring a steady supply of fresh produce throughout the region. Yet, for the people of this land, the Kaveri is much more than a giver of life. She is life itself.
The legends of the Kaveri
Revered as a goddess and a mother, the Kaveri carries centuries of myth and legends. Among her origin stories, one features Sage Agastya and his wife, Lopamudra, who traveled with him in the form of water within his kamandala (sacred pot). It is said that Agastya accidentally dropped the kamandala, angering Lopamudra who took the form of a river. Another speaks of Lord Ganesha, who disguised as a crow tipped the pot to save the southern lands from drought. According to this account, the river earned her name from the Tamil words ‘ka’ (crow) and ‘viri’ (to spread).
A deeper dive into the legend unveils how the Kaveri, attempting to flow out of the Kodagu region, was confronted by the Kodavas, who stood in her path and implored her not to leave their land. An intriguing substory tied to this moment explains a unique cultural tradition of the Kodavas. As the Kodava women stood in the river’s path, the force of the flowing waters pushed the pleats of their sarees backward. To this day, Kodava women wear their sarees with pleats tied at the back, honoring this ancient connection to the Kaveri. Returning to the main story, the Kodavas listened to Kaveri’s plight and made a judgment: no woman should ever be forced to stay with a man against her will. This decision angered Sage Agastya, who cursed the Kodavas, declaring that their numbers would dwindle, their women would not tie their garments in the traditional front-knot style, rice crops would fail, and cows would not give milk. However, the Kaveri, moved by the Kodavas' strong resolve, blessed them. She vowed to protect them, ensuring their prosperity and lineage, and promised never to abandon their land. Instead, she pledged to return each year during the Kaveri Sankramana festival.
The birth of the Kaveri
Celebrated with great pomp, the Kaveri Sankramana draws thousands of devotees to Talakaveri, the river's source, nestled in the Brahmagiri Hills of Karnataka, on the first day of the Tula month in the Hindu calendar (mid-October). As the first rays of the sun spread across the sky, the air around the kundike (the tank or fountainhead) fills with anticipation. Devotees gather in reverence, their gaze fixed on the waters of the kundike. At the precise moment when the surface of the water trembles and begins to bubble, a stir of excitement sweeps through the crowd. This miraculous event, known as Theerthodbhava, is believed to signify the birth of the river, marking the start of Kaveri Sankramana.
For some, this moment is pure magic. Yet, science offers its own explanation. The region is known for its natural springs, where water often flows out of aquifers (layers of rock that store groundwater). The timing of Kaveri Sankramana coincides with the tail-end of the monsoon, when the aquifers are at their fullest, causing the springs to surge. The phenomenon is a natural result of the seasonal hydrological cycle. However, the question remains: how did the people of the past predict the exact date of this emergence? Thanks to modern research, we understand predictable seasonal hydrology, which helps us foresee changes in a region’s water systems. It is a mystery how the ancient people of Kodagu observed and understood these natural patterns.
Regardless, science takes a back seat to belief and tradition here. The devotion of the people is evident as they flock in large numbers to bathe in the holy waters of the kundike, seeking to cleanse themselves of sins. They also gather water in sacred pots to carry back home, where it is used in rituals throughout the year. There is a widespread belief that if a dying person is given a sip of this holy water, they will attain salvation. For those who cannot journey to Talakaveri, alternative pilgrimage centers along the banks of the Kaveri River, such as Bhagamandala, Harishachandra, Balamuri, and Guyya, also become sacrosanct sites for worship.
Kaveri in Kodava culture
For the Kodavas, Kaveri Sankramana is one of their most significant and widely celebrated festivals. The day after Theerthodbhava, every Kodava household takes part in a ceremony honoring the river. Married women traditionally drape themselves in new silk sarees and partake in a ritual known as Taliyatakki Bolca. At the core of this ritual is the offering of a fruit or vegetable that contains water, typically cucumber or coconut, believed to symbolize the sacred Kaveri herself. These fruits are selected because the water within is thought to represent the river’s water. The cucumber or coconut is wrapped in red silk, adorned with flowers, and placed beside a glowing oil lamp on a bed of rice grains. This offering forms part of the Kanni Puje, where the goddess Parvati, incarnated as Kaveri, is revered. Alongside the fruit offering, three sets of betel leaves, areca nuts, and glass bangles - symbols often linked to married women - are included.
The rituals then culminate in a special feast, which stands out as one of the rare occasions when the otherwise predominantly non-vegetarian Kodava cuisine is entirely vegetarian. The meal typically consists of dosa, a pumpkin curry, and payasa (milk pudding), which are offered to the goddess and ancestors before being shared with the family. An important part of the ritual involves the eldest member of the family, who carries the prepared meal and places it on a bottu, a traditional post often set up in fields. It is believed that during Kaveri Sankramana, the goddess visits her lands to see how well they have been tended, offering blessings for the upcoming harvest. One plausible explanation for this custom could be that setting food on these posts keeps away birds and other animals from feeding on growing crops, directing their attention to the offerings instead.
To conclude the Sankramana celebrations, all the offerings are taken to the riverbanks, where they are immersed in the water. It is believed that by doing so, the offerings will surely reach the goddess and be accepted by her. As the river’s currents carry these offerings downstream from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu and, finally, into the Bay of Bengal, it is said that the goddess herself embraces these tributes, ensuring blessings for the entire community.
The future of the river
During Kaveri Sankramana, the region comes alive with joyous celebrations, as communities sing praises for the river that sustains and nourishes life. However, as we honor the river, we must also turn our attention to its protection. A 2021 study by IIT Madras revealed alarming contamination in Kaveri’s waters, including pharmaceuticals, plastics, flame retardants, heavy metals, and pesticides. In 2023 the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) named the Kaveri as one of the most polluted rivers in India. Illegal sand mining, unsustainable water use, invasive species, and dam construction seriously endanger not just the river’s flow but also the delicate ecology it supports. For humans as well as wildlife populations relying on her for drinking water, these challenges are translating into rising health concerns.
Encouragingly, several initiatives are being undertaken by the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to help restore the river’s health. In 2024, the Union Government’s Central Water Commission approved the multi-crore Nadanthai Vaazhi Kaveri Project. By focusing on pollution control, effluent management, and water conservation, this project mirrors the Namami Gange Programme and seeks to revitalize the Kaveri river and its tributaries. Similarly, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has intensified efforts to monitor and regulate industrial pollution, especially in key urban centers like Mysuru and Mandya, to reduce harmful effluents entering the river.
Festivals like Kaveri Sankramana could evolve beyond mere celebrations into transformative platforms for conservation advocacy. Whether through individual actions like reducing plastic waste or collective efforts to hold industries accountable, the festival can inspire communities to become active preservers of the river. By blending tradition with actionable steps toward conservation, Kaveri Sankramana has the potential to embody both reverence and responsibility—ensuring that the river’s blessings flow freely for generations to come.
Edited by: Sheema Mookherjee
Insights: Akhilesh Tambe & Aman Gupta