RELIGIOUSThe Aadi Amavasya festival at the Chairman Arunachalasamy Temple in Aral begins on August 3 with a flag-hoisting ceremony at 6:30 AM, followed by nightly chariot processions. The festival runs through August 14 with a grand finale including special rituals, bathing in the Porunai river, and a sacred darshan at 9 PM.