Kattu Chelliamman Kovil

Kattu Chelliamman  Kovil

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

  The Kattu Chelli Amman temple   is situated   in the middle of the forest below a Herb Pandal. It Is believed that after Kaliamman  killed Darukasura , the anger which she had at that time became a small baby. Feeling that this personification of anger is dangerous to the world Lord Shiva  took her in to his body and made that baby as the part of his body.  Kaliamman was enraged and there was a dance competition between Kaliamman and Lord Shiva.  Kaliamman was defeated   and the very sad Kaliamman   went to the forest near a village called Chengarai  which is near Gunmmidi poondi town and started living there   in  the deep forest in the shade of trees. She also hid her form within  an ant hill. I could find two stories connecting this Goddess with the   British  army people who used to camp there.

I .Once the British soldierswere chasing a deer in the forest. It went and hid itself in a bush in the forest,. The soldiers tried to clear the bush but they encountered a black Cobra there which went and hid itself in an anthill near by  .The Soldiers then started     breaking the anthill and saw an idol of the Goddess there. At that time the Goddess entered in to a lady and she told those soldiers that the goddess was Chelliamman.  She was greatly allergic to sound produced by mortar and pestle, crying of babies  and that is why she was living   in the forest.

2,Once a british captain who was camping near the forest sawed and bright light  coming out from a forest bush at night. When he enquired about it with the chief of Village , he told him that a Goddess was residing there.. That night when he was deep asleep he heard the jingling of anklets and could smell the  burning of camphor. Disturbed by this that captain came out of his tent. After some time when he tried to reenter  his tent a black Cobra came to attack him  but some upknown unseeable power hit the cobra on its   head and it died, Next day the villagers told him that he was  Saved by  Kattu Chelliamman only  They took him to the forest , prepared pongal and worshipped the Goddess. But the captain was not able believe in that Goddess    nor could he believe that   She was wandering at night. On the way his hose threw him down ,his body was covered with sweat and there was great pain in his chest. The villagers sprinkled the holy water of the temple on his face , made him hold the lemon brought from the temple and put some pongal offered  to the Goddess in his mouth .The captain became normal and went next day and worshipped the Goddess .

     The fame of Kattu Chelliamman spread and the people wanted to build a temple for her   in the nearby village . She through a lady told them that she is allergic to sound of mortar and the sound of crying of babies. They could bring her up to a pond called Alangulam   but since they were not able to fulfill her conditions Chelliamman went  back to her anthill. Once again the villagers went and asked her permission to build a temple for her .They slowly started removing the mud from the anthill  and she rose from there  as an  idol with a flame crown  , Soola , skull  on the top hands , The other two hands  signifying calling them arose from the anthill  There were two Ganesa  idols with her. The temple is open from 6 Am to 6 Pm. Nobody is allowed to worship her after 6 PM Since  she first appeared   on a Thursday  , Thursdays are important days at the temple and large number of devotees come to see her on that day. On the first date of Chithirai month(April 15^th or 16^th)  , Vadai garland  is offered to the Goddess. Barren couple visit the temple 9 or 11 times in that many weeks and are blessed with children. Most of these shildren are  called Chellan, Chelli, Chellayi etc Those who are not able to get married tie a cloth on the nearby tree.  People who want to silence their enemies    put a lock at the temple. Ladies also present bangles   in 11 or 51 or 101 numbers to  get themselves married.