• Pics Of Goddess Mariamman

Thousands of devotees visiting the Mariamman Temple in Irukkangudi near Sattur is no surprise. For, the devotees feel that the presiding deity is so benevolent that She gives them good health.

According to a legend, the current deity was initially at the famous Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam. When one of that temple’s chief priests believed that the idol caused illness in him, he is said to have ordered for its removal from the temple. There was a common belief of the people from that in region that such local Gods possess immense powers and so must always be appeased by making appropriate offerings and sacrifices.

Thus, the idol was moved out of the Srirangam town, and was later identified by some of the by passers, who is said to have built a temple for this deity called the Kannanur Mariamman temple. Sometime around the 17 th century CE, the region surrounding Trichy is said to have been ruled by the Vijayanagar kings who used the area primarily as an army base. It is believed that the Vijayanagara ruler vowed to build a temple for his goddess if they get to win the war. And accordingly, they built this temple on tasting success.

Pics Of Goddess Mariamman

The principal deity, Goddess Mariamman, also called popularly as Goddess Samayapurathal. The main deity’s idol is made up of sand and clay and thus the ritual of abhisheka is not performed to the Moolavar, (main idol) unlike many other Hindu deities. Instead abisheka is performed to a small secondary Vigraha that is carved out of stone. This Vigraha is placed in front of the main idol. Adhi Mariamman graces the devotees with her four hands. The sanctum sanctorum faces S. Kannanore in the South is a noteworthy feature.