The ongoing excavations at Keeladi in Tamil Nadu have yielded a significant find: a series of terracotta-lined offering wells filled with fossilized jasmine and lotus remains. Researchers believe these wells were central to the "Festival of the Floral-Rain," a Sangam-era precursor to modern South Indian spring celebrations dedicated to the goddess of the sky and fresh water.
Unlike later stone temples, these brick-and-clay structures suggest that early Tamil festivals were focused on ecological sites like wells and riverbanks. The discovery of ivory bangles and beads within the floral layers indicates that the festival was a major communal event where individuals sought personal blessings through the ritual of "showering" the sacred waters with blossoms.