Makaliamman of Pulavar palayam

Makaliamman of Pulavar palayam

By
P.R.Ramachander

Pulavar palyam is village in the Namakkal-Karur road. The very gigantic statue of Makaliaman is in this village. It seems once instead of a statue, there were only three stones representing the Goddess. The people were worshipping these stones were worshipped by the villagers as Makaliamman. Every year in the month of Masi (February-march) the place would be cleaned and sacrifice of goat, cock and Buffalo was given to please the Goddess. After this no body will go to the place where this was done till next year festival. It would be completely covered with weeds and trees. Once the villagers heard a child crying from inside this bush. When some body reported this most of the villagers refused to believe it, after this abruptly stones from no where started falling on the houses of villagers.
Then Goddess entered an old man and he told, “I am Kali. I want worship to be done daily. If it is not done I would make this village in to a cremation ground. Hearing this, the villagers cleaned up the place and built up a small temple. Initially the three stones were kept inside the temple and daily worship was offered. Later they made a Kali Statue with ten hands and kept it in side the temple. They also made a 35 feet tall statue of Makaliamman and kept it outside the temple.
The festival was shifted from Masi to Chithirai (April-may). On the first Monday the festival is celebrated with sacrifice of three types of animals as before. A small uthsavar state is taken in procession in side the village. Once the Uthsavar reaches the temple v, the main deity is worshipped and offered Pongal. Around mid night the sacrifice of Buffalo, Cocks and Goat is taken up. The blood of these animals are mixed in the Pongal and the Chamiyadis (Oracles) go to the east side of the temple and throw the mixture in to the sky. They believe that whatever is thrown never comes back and Kali receives it in the sky. The Chamiyadis normally keep a lime fruit to protect themselves, while going to offer this rice.
It is also a custom that the animals should be cut in one sweep of the knife. If this does not happen, the villagers think that there is some deficiency in the festival. The bodies of all buffalos which are cut are buried in a pit. After this no one goes near the temple till next morning.
It seems one lady of the neighboring village came to see the festival. And offered Pongal. After returning from the festival she remembered that she has left the ladle near the temple. At night when she went in search of it, she saw seven girl children playing in front of the temple. They told her, “Don’t you know you should not come here at night. You are lucky to have seen us.” Then the six children vanished and took the form of Makaliamman. She warned the lady not to tell what she saw to any body. After two years, it seems by mistake the lady told it to other ladies about this happening. She died that night because of high fever. After this even on ordinary days no body goes near the temple after 8 Pm.
Behind Makali’s temple there is an Oonja maram. There is statue of snake below this tree. People with Naga dosha, who are not able to conceive, worship this snake for six weeks and later sacrifice a cock. It seems hey get children. On Fridays at noon, one man becomes an unmarried oracle stands on a nail slipper and answers all questions. In his trance , it seems he would be able to identify even strangers. He then tells their problems and the antidote. This is very popular in the village