Aadi Velli 2026 | Fridays in Aadi Month in Tamil Nadu

Aadi Velli is a special puja observed on Fridays in Aadi month of Tamil calendar. In 2026, Aadi Velli dates are: 17 July, 24 July, 31 July, 7 August and 14 August.

The first and the third Friday in Aadi month are even more auspicious among all four Fridays. Devotees visit Goddess Shakti temples on these days and offer special pujas for wellness and prosperity of their families.

Visiting and offering special pujas to three Shakti Temples around Chennai on the same day of Aadi Velli is believed auspicious. The three temples of Goddess Shakti are: Thiruvudai Amman Temple, Vadivudai Amman Temple, and Kodiyidai Amman Temple.

Friday – 17 July 2026 – Aadi Velli (Aadi Friday) (Aadi 2)

Friday – 24 July 2026 – Aadi Velli (Aadi Friday) (Aadi 9)

Friday – 31 July 2026 – Aadi Velli (Aadi Friday) (Aadi 16)

Friday – 7 August 2026 – Aadi Velli (Aadi Friday) (Aadi 23)

Friday – 14 August 2026 – Aadi Velli (Aadi Friday) (Aadi 30)

Aadi Velli (ஆடி வெள்ளி) refers to the Fridays falling within the sacred Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August). While Aadi Chevvai (Tuesday) centers on protection and neutralizing intense energies, Aadi Velli is the absolute peak of the month’s celebrations, focusing entirely on wealth, prosperity, and the boundless grace of the Divine Mother.

Fridays are naturally aligned with Venus and Goddess Lakshmi, but during the spiritually charged month of Aadi, they are elevated to honor Goddess Shakti in her ultimate forms—such as Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Mahalakshmi, and Mariamman.

The Core Significance of Each Friday

Traditionally, a typical Aadi month features 4 or 5 Fridays, and each one holds a unique spiritual frequency:

• First Friday: Dedicated to Goddess Swarnambika (a form of Parvati). Devotees pray on this day for financial stability, wealth, and material comforts.

• Second Friday: Dedicated to Goddess Angali Amman. Prayers are offered for wisdom, clarity of mind, and overall success in life’s endeavors.

• Third Friday: Dedicated to Goddess Kalikambal. This day focuses heavily on granting courage, inner strength, and protection against negative forces or health setbacks.

• Fourth Friday: Dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi. The energy of this Friday centers on relationships, marital harmony, and removing obstacles to marriage.

• Fifth Friday (When Applicable): Dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi or celebrated as Varalakshmi Vratam. It brings the month to a grand conclusion, cementing blessings of abundance, fertile lands, and family well-being.

Rituals and Traditional Observances

The atmosphere in Tamil Nadu on an Aadi Velli is incredibly vibrant, filled with the aroma of fresh flowers, camphor, and traditional sweets.

Sakkarai Pongal & Payasam

Devotees wake up before dawn to clean their homes and draw elaborate rice-flour kolams at the entrance. Kitchens busy themselves preparing sacred offerings (neivedhyam), primarily Sakkarai Pongal (sweet jaggery rice cooked with milk and ghee), Akkaravadisal, or distinct varieties of milk payasam to please the Goddess.

Maa Vilakku (The Rice-Flour Lamp)

One of the most powerful and distinct rituals performed on Aadi Velli is lighting the Maa Vilakku.

• Devotees mix raw rice flour, pure jaggery, cardamom, and a touch of milk to form a firm, smooth dough.

• This dough is shaped into a smooth mound, and a small hollow is pressed into the top.

• The hollow is filled with pure ghee, fitted with a cotton wick, and lit directly in front of the deity.

• Lighting this edible lamp inside the home is believed to dispel all forms of darkness, poverty, and family discord.

Temple Visits and Thaalichadu

Temples are heavily packed on these Fridays. Deities are adorned in breathtaking Sandhana Kaappu (sandalwood paste paste armor) or brilliant silk sarees. Women exchange thamboolam (betel leaves, nuts, turmeric, kumkum, and bangles) with one another to invite auspiciousness into their households.

Spiritually High-Energy Rhythms

Because Aadi Velli celebrates the raw, fierce, and loving aspects of the Divine Mother, temple processions (oorvalams) are accompanied by high-energy, thunderous musical styles. Unlike the soft, meditative chants of other seasons, Aadi festivals thrive on highly energetic traditional percussion—featuring the heavy rhythms of the Udukai, Pampaai, and intense Dhol-Tasha style beats that match the immense power of Shakti.

Aadi Velli in Previous Years

In 2025, Aadi Velli dates are: 18 July, 25 July, 1 August, 8 August and 15 August.

In 2024, Aadi Velli dates are: 19 July, 26 July, 2 August, 9 August and 16 August.

In 2022, Aadi Velli dates are: 22 July, 29 July, 5 August and 12 August.

In 2021, Aadi Velli dates are: 23 July, 30 July, 6 August and 13 August.

In 2020, Aadi Velli dates are: 17 July, 24 July, 31 July, 7 August and 14 August.

In 2019, Aadi Velli dates are: July 19, July 26, August 2, August 9 and August 16.

In 2018, Aadi Velli dates are: July 20, July 27, August 3 and August 10.

In 2017, Aadi Velli dates are: July 21, July 28, August 4 and August 11.

In 2016, Aadi Velli dates are: July 22, July 29, August 5 and August 12.

In 2015, Aadi Velli dates are: July 17, July 24, July 31, August 7 and August 14.

In 2014, Aadi Velli dates are: July 18, July 25, August 1, August 8 and August 15.

In 2013, Aadi Velli dates were: July 19, July 26, August 2, August 9 and August 16.

In 2012, Aadi Velli dates were: 20 July, 27 July, August 3, and 10 August.