Pachchaperumal literally means "Buddha's colour." In ancient tradition the monks made an offering of this rice during the harvest festival to please the gods of rain and crops as they considered it holy. It is forbidden to use mechanical aids such as tractors on Pachchaperumal fields, as it would cause the soil to compact. It has to be ploughed and threshed using a buffalo. Pachchaperumal contains 88% of the recommended daily intake of manganese, useful in digesting fats.