Thula Kattam

Thula Kattam is a sacred river ghat on the Cauvery River in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu. It is the central venue for the annual Thula Snanam ritual during the Tamil month of Aippasi (mid-October to mid-November), when devotees take a holy dip believed to be highly meritorious. The ghat features stone steps leading to the river and is closely associated with nearby temples, serving as an important pilgrimage site in the Cauvery Delta region.

Visitors can expect a wide stone-stepped ghat descending to the Cauvery River in the heart of Mayiladuthurai town. The setting is open and riverside, with bathing areas, small shrines and views of the river. During the Thula month, the ghat is crowded with pilgrims performing holy dips, prayers and rituals. On regular days it is quieter, allowing for sightseeing, observing local religious practices and photography of the riverfront and temple surroundings.

Thula Kattam has long been a sacred bathing ghat on the Cauvery River, historically patronized during the Chola period when Mayiladuthurai (then Mayuram) was an important temple town. The ghat is traditionally associated with the sanctity of the Cauvery and the annual Thula Kaveri observance.

The ghat is culturally significant as the focal point of Thula Snanam during the Tamil month of Aippasi, when bathing in the Cauvery at this spot is considered equivalent to bathing in the Ganges. Devotees, sadhus and pilgrims gather for ritual dips, prayers and offerings, and the site is linked to nearby Shaivite and Vaishnavite temples.