About Uriyadi
Uriyadi Utsavam is the marquee event among all the utsavams at Varagur. The festival begins on Gayathri Japam Day — the day after Avani Avittam — and continues for ten days through Krishna Astami (Janmashtami) and the day after.
The observance was instituted at Varagur by Sri Narayana Theerthar in the early 18th century. He celebrated Krishna Astami here as a community festival, and the village has kept the tradition continuously since. Today devotees travel from across India and abroad to participate.
What is “uriyadi”?
Uri is the Tamil word for the clay pot of butter that Krishna and his cowherd friends loved to steal from the gopis in Gokula. Adi means “to strike”. Uriyadi — the striking of the pot — is the Tamil temple-festival enactment of that childhood leela. A pot is hung high overhead and broken at the climax of the procession.
Future dates
See the full festival calendar › Dates for 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, with each year’s Avani Avittam, Uriyadi Utsavam, Rukmini Kalyanam, and Bhakta Utsavam.
Past Uriyadi festivals
A collection of photographs, news coverage, and the temple’s invitations from past years:
Frequently asked questions
What is Uriyadi?
Uriyadi is the Tamil name for the Janmashtami custom of breaking a clay pot (uri) hung high overhead to celebrate the child Krishna’s love of butter. At Varagur it is a ten-day festival at the Sri Venkatesa Perumal Kovil, anchored on the day after Avani Avittam (Yajur Upakarma).
When is Uriyadi at Varagur?
The festival begins on Gayathri Japam Day — the day after Avani Avittam — and continues for ten days. The Uriyadi Utsavam itself falls on the tenth day from the full moon of the month, around Krishna Astami. Specific Gregorian dates change each year with the Tamil calendar.
How is Uriyadi at Varagur different from Dahi Handi?
Both come from the same Krishna legend, but the customs are distinct. Dahi Handi is the Marathi observance, especially associated with Maharashtra. Uriyadi at Varagur is a temple festival woven into ten days of utsavams, with Veda Parayanam, bhajans, Rukmini Kalyanam, and Annadhanam organised by the temple trust.
Who organises Uriyadi at Varagur?
The hereditary trustees of the Sri Venkatesa Perumal Kovil, together with the families of the village and visiting devotees. Accommodation and meals during the festival are provided by the temple trust out of its revenues.