Amma’s town shows the chilli to cyclone Baaz

Even as tsunami-battered coastal districts in Tamil Nadu were coming to terms with the tragedy, an aggressive Northeast monsoon, which set in on October 1, has rendered lakhs of people homeless and caused extensive damage to crops. More than 250 people have died, causeways and rivers in the northern and some southern districts are overflowing and reservoirs brimming. ‘‘We are praying the state may not be battered by tsunamis and cyclones,’’ said the priest of the Durga temple here.

Two tonnes of dry red chillies, waters from 108 holy places, lime, litres of ghee, pumpkins and silk veshtis were fed into the fire.