Akasa Mariyamman of Thirunarayur

Akasa Mariyamman of Thirunarayur

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

   Once upon a time the people  of Thirunarayur were bangle sellers. They used to carry glass bangles on their head go  from home to home I villages and villages   and sell  their bangles.Once these people went   to Samayapuram..That time Panguni festival   was being celebrated  in Samayapuram. Then old bangle seller saw a dream.One young  and very pretty came in his dream and asked him for bangles. At that time the old man had very less bangles . He  put  each bangle he had in the ladies hands and all of them broke. Then the old man told the lady “all the bangles I had have broken and so if you come to my village  , I would make you wear pretty pretty bangles. Then she said, “Would you give me bangles only if I come to your  village? No, there  is no need for that,I would make your  village people  wear bangles.”

And she disappeared. The old man woke up suddenly and he saw that all the bangles had broken and were  lying by his side and he saw that all other villagers  had pox all over  the bodies, At that time  the priest of Samayapuram temple came there and told them, “The goddess   wanted to  compensate   you   for the broken bangles.” And he gave them the cash for it.” Then the old man realized that the young lady  who came in his dream  was Samayapuram  Mariyamman herself.,Then he applied the ashes got   from Samayapuram temple on their bodies and all the pox marks disappeared.,Then the goddess appeared to them on the sky. They called her akasa Mari and saluted her and requested  her to visit their village.. She asked them , “Which is your village?” and they replied “They said it is narayur   famous for its Jasmine flowers.”  And she said, “ I would come every year to your village for the sake  of jasmine flowers and your bangles.”

  It is believed SAmayapuram Mariyamman comes there through the sky every year  (may-june)  and stays  there  for twelve days during the spring.  She has a temple there  in the north east side of the path   where chariot runs. Lakhs of pilgrims come there on all those days a, pray to her and make her  offerings. There is no statue or idol for this goddess. During the festival days using a potm, silk cloth, Durbha grass   and decorations the   form of a very pretty Mariamman is made. She is made to wear all sort of gold and jewel ornaments. She daily  travels on a palanquin made of flowers on the shoulders  of her devotees. All the Nadaswara artists assemble there   and a special Raga called “Mangala Mallari “ is chanted. It is a custom in the village, during these 14 days, no other individual family   celebration would   take place.Devotees bring Kavadis to the templke.Non stop  feast is given in the temple during the festival days.On the thirteenth day , Amman would depart to Samayapuram. On other days a lighted lamp  is kept in the Akasa Mari temple   and is worshipped. The temple is kept open from 6 Am to 10 Am   and 5 pm to 8 PM .People pray here for marriage and child birth.. The temple is 10 km from Kumbhakonam  on the Kumbhakonam- Nagapattinam road near to the Nachiar kovil town.