Devotees Throng Cauvery Banks for Mahalaya Amavasya Rituals

Many people went to the banks of the Cauvery River in Srirangapatna on Saturday.

They came from Karnataka and other states.

They were there to remember and pray for family members who had died.

The occasion was Mahalaya Amavasya, the final day of a period called Pitru Paksha.

People performed rituals including Pinda Pradana and Tila Tarpana.

One ritual uses offerings made from cooked rice, and another involves water mixed with black sesame seeds.

These rites are traditionally believed to honour ancestors and seek their blessings for the family.

The large crowds also made traffic busier near the river.