Karumandapam Ilamkattu Mariyamman

Karumandapam Ilamkattu Mariyamman

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

      It seems there was a  Mariyamman in a village called Ilamkadu without any place to stay..Shhe appealed to her elder sister  “Samayapuram Mariyamman” .She advised her.”Many people going  on a pilgrimage to Pazhani would pass through your village. yOu join them.When you reach the town of Uchi pillayar koil, Kali and Karuppachami would prevent you from going further..You stay there.”  As her her advice Ilamkattu Mariyamma came and was stopped near in a place called “Karumandapam” in Trichy..Intially she was staying in a hut constructed by the people. Now it is a permanent temple

     The temple faces the east. As soon as we enter, you can see Karupannachami sitting on a horse on your left  side.Om the western side you would find Pillayar, Nagar and on the north  the idol of Vishnu Durga. The Mariyamman has a peaceful look iN the month of Vaikasi there  is a ten day festival in this temple.Apart from several celebrations, walking  on fire   is also observed.

   Aadsi pooram is celebrated  in a grand scale in this temple. That day the Goddess  is decorated with One Lakh bangles. These would be later  distributed among ladies

  On Fridays The goddess is offered  Rose flower garlands and devotees  pray for early marriage and child birth. As soon as their desires are fulfilled   , they offer a  Sari to the Goddess.People going on Pilgrimage to Pazhani by this way  , take rest at this temple.

Alamaathi Pidari Echathammam temple

 Alamaathi  Pidari  Echathammam temple

Compiled by

P.R,Ramachander

.There  is an interesting story behind this temple:-

    When Goddess Parvathy was fighting with  an ASura called Mahishasura, wherever a drop of blood fell from that ASura’s body a new  Rakthabheeja was created. To  Stop this Goddess Parvathy created the Ferocious form of Kali who drank all the blood  that fell from the Body of  Mahishasura.  Due to consumption of blood, she became   extremely ferocious  and Goddess Parvathi made her wear  a garland of limes which cooled her down. She then covered herself  by an ant hill in that village which was called  Erumavetti palayam(The village of cutting of elephant) .

 Later when Rishabhasura   the grand son of Ravana lusted for Goddess  Parvathi and started troubling her, she again woke up that Kali who cut off the head of Rishabhasura and drank all his blood. DEvas who saw her ferociousness   Offered her several lime garlands and saluted her. She then became Elumichai B Nayagi( Lime Goddess) and  again started living in an ant hill. The ant hill became very huge and the villages who knew about her offered g her Bali on wednedays and  also decorated her   with lime garlands

     AS Time went by the attention of the villagers  came down and they started neglecting her. At that time she caused torrential rain on the village which troubled them greatly. Then their village was visited by  sage Markandeya who advised  them to start worshipping the  Goddess again. So in the month of Masi (February-march) on a Wednesday  when it was also  Amavasya(new moon) , the villages  started worshipping her. Then they heard the Goddess assuring them that  she would protect  that village as well as the seven villages   surrounding it.Sage Markandeya also started  living in that village.

   Once there was huge storm and torrential rain in the village again and those seven villages were about to be drowned by a flood and the lake which was the life line of the village   was about to break..  People got scared and approached sage Markandeya who prayed the Goddess  to solve their problem.Then Elumichai Nayagi rose from the ant hill and went and sat at the bank of the lake which was about to break. The banks became strong and rains stopped. All the villagers requested the Goddess  to stay there itself and she agreed. She  from that time was known as “Pidario Echathamman”.. Here echa indicates yAgna and Athuthal means curing. Since she rose up like a flower in the village  that village became known as “Alar Mathu”  which  lated became Alamathi  

    Pidari sits in a small temple   facing the north. There are separate sub temples   for Ganesa, seven maids(SAptha kanniyar), Karumari and Durga of anthill in that temple.Tuesdays, Wednesdays , Fridays and Sundays are  important in the temple and  huge crowds of devotees visit   their goddess .

   Maha Shivarathri   and new year   are celebrated  in this temple  ,. The festival month of the temple is Aadi(July-august). SEvarl festivals take place durig the month. Ear boring , marriages, worship of new Vehicles etc of these seven villages take place only at this temple.

    A special  worship practiced in the temple is anointing her , offering her pongal  on Wednesdays   for five weeks.Every time they offer five limes to the Goddess. The priest returns two of them. They then  pierce one lime on the spear of the goddess, and cut the other in to two.The juice of  the fruit is poured on the Bali Peda of the Goddess and they light two  ghee lamps on the lime skins and offer it to the  Goddess, On the fifth Wednesday, they make the Goddess  wear a lime garland and offer  her sweet pongal.Devotees believe by doing this all their problems would get solved. The temple is open every day from 7 Am  to 12 noon  and 4 pm to 7 PM.

Velipettai angalamman temple , Dharmapuri

Velipettai angalamman temple  , Dharmapuri

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

   

     The temple of Angalamman is situated   in Dharmapuri town of Tamil Nadu.Though the main deity of the temple  is angalamman  who sits below the umbella held by the serpent holding a  small drum  , rope , sword  and skull   with fire as her   crow. Before  entering her temple is Nandi  and on her left side in Nagar(*serpent). On her right side is  Durga  in a separate   sub temple.In front of her is her primeval  form which was  being  worshipped in early times. Outside the sanctum is Ganesa  , Madhurai veeran  , Bommiyamman    and vellayamman. Pavazha  mali tree and white Arali tree   are the temple trees .On full moon(POurnami) ,on new moon(Amavasya)  , Fridays and  Tuesdays   special worship is done to Angalamman .Chithra pournami  , Adi pathinetteu , Navarathri   and Maha Sivarathri are  celebrated   at the temple. The main festival is  around the Maha Shivarathri day.  After   the flag is hoisted for the festival ,  for one week , the  the goddess  goes in a procession around the village around 7 Pm. On the last day of those 7 days  , the marriage of the mother is celebrated..On that day the Goddess goes out in a glass chariot at night.That day newly harvested from several fields on the way are  offered to her. Two days later  early morning at 1 Am , five dolls of different colours made  of Maida  is taken to the cremation ground and they are  smashed there,This is called Pancha Mukha Vettu festival.It is believed that  the Goddess protects the villagers because of this. On that day at 10Am , the goddess travelling on a Bootha(ghost) goes to the cremation ground.  Three days later a festival called Pillai Pavu   is celebrated. It is believed that  ladies without children would get children by participating in this festival.

       The temple  is about 1 km from the Dharmapuri town Bus stand.It is daily open from 6 Am to 12 noon  and later  between 4.30 Pm to 8 Pm,

Inampuliyur Sabari vara Mariamman temple

Inampuliyur Sabari vara  Mariamman temple

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

   Inamnpuliyur village   is near Puliyur   near Trichy town of Tamil Nadu. It seems several hundred years back, the cow herds and goat hers of the village noticed that a particular place of the   forests was avoided for grazing both by the  goats as wll as cows..One day they all joined together   and when they searched , they found a statue of Mariyamman lying there. When they informed the villagers about it, they decided to build a temple for that  Nariyamman in the spot she was found. Slowly the villages realized the power of the Goddess and a fairly big temple   was built in that place. The Goddess is in the sitting pose   and is facing the east..She has a very peaceful face and the devotees   who go worried there returnrd with great peace in their mind.. On the left of the Mariamman Sannidhi is  the temple for Karuppannaswami .Daily  only a ghee lamp is showed to the Goddess  ,But on the first day of Tamil as well as  English montha  , Fridays of Aadi  month, full moon and new moon days, special pooja and Abhisheka are  offered to the  Goddess,Sivarathri is  celebrated in a grand scale. After the  worship on day  Chundal made of  THattai Payaru  is  distributed. In the month  of Chithirai (april –may) , there is a festival in the temple for three  days. On the second day Pongal is offered to the Goddess  and Mavilakku (A lamp on rice powder mixture)  is observed, In the evening of the second day  devoteescarry milk pots, walk over burning fire  and so on when the Goddess  comes out to see  her people. On the third day, she is given bath in turmeric water.  Devotees believe that  they would get children if they attend the third day celebration,.

      The temple trees are Banyan and Peepul  tree , both of which are  several centuaries old. People desiring children hand baby cradles on the Peepul tree . Next to  the temple   is a structure called Amma Mandapam . Here the people getting b pox diseases are brought and are given the sacred   water from the temple . It seems they get cured   very fast..

        The temple is open between 6 am to 8 Am  and 5 PM to 8 PM.  From Chathiram bus stand of Trichy town buses go to Puliyur and from there   this temple  is about one km away.

Nachikurichi Madhavai Amman temple

Nachikurichi Madhavai Amman temple

Compiled   by

P.R.Ramachander

Nachikurichi is a   small village  near the city of Trichinopoly in Tamil Nadu.In this village   there is a temple of village  Gods and Goddesses . In front of the temple on both sides are temples of Lord Muruga  with Valli  and devanai and Lord Ganesa with Sidhi and Budhi, As soon  as enter the temple   are  huge trees of neem   and peepul.   These are considered as temple trees. Below the trees  is a big hall  with  God sambhavan. Devotees believe that  by sitting and meditating  peace descends  in to out mind quickly.. In the outer corridor of the temples  , there are temples  for Madhurai veeran and nagappar. Those who have dosha in their horoscope  due to rahu and Kethu , bring Nagar  statues and keep them   before  Nagappar  and worship them .People who have snake bite are  brought  to this temple and if they worship Nagappar , the effect  of poison is  considerably reduced.. There  is also a believe that  no one is bitten by a snake  in this village.If some one sees  a snake in the house , they bring a mud pot and keep it near  the snake. It seems the snake of its own enters the pot. Then  the snake is brought to Nagappar  temple and left there, this Nagappa swamy is the clan God for many families   surrounding the temple . In the corridor there are temples for Periyanna swami, Panayadi Karuppaswamy. This Karuppaswamy temple is below  two huge Palmyrah palms in the  temple,People believe   that by praying  to Nagappa swami and Periyanna swamy  the effect  of black  magic done by  others  can be removed..In the  middle of the temple   is the temple of Saptha Mathas.Vaishnavi who  is in the middle of the  saptha Mathas  is called Madhavai amman.On full moon days  special pooja and Abhishekam are  offered to  Madhavai Amman.In the month of Masi  there  is a 15 day festival in this temple. People regardless  of caste or religion participate  in this festival.

  This village is 5 km from Trichy central bus stand  and the temple is open from 6 Am   to 12 noon   and 4PM to 8 Pm.

  

Panamkudi Mariamman temple

Panamkudi  Mariamman temple

Compiled   By

P.R.Ramachander

    This is   a 300 year old temple  situated in annilam Taluq and is the village  Goddess  for  the four villages  of Panamgudi  , Mangulam  , Keezha panamgudi and Mela  vassal. After  a  big tinned shed , there  is big hall  followed by a small hall . On both sides of the  temple   the guardian gods Kathavarayan and Mahamayi   made  of wood   stand. On the right side of Kathavarayan   is Aariya mala and on   the left is Karuppaxhagi.  There are also separate temples for  Thottikatti chinnan and pechayi  . The  Mariyamman of the temple has a  fierce look   with round eyes   and protruding teeth. Devotees    believe that she has   taken this form to prevent  black magic from entering there

   In the month of Aadi(July –august)   there  is a  festival   in this temple. The goddess crosses  the river on a tueday and stays in the other shore   for two days, Next day  she goes in to the  villages of  Melavasal, AAndipanthal  , Mangulam  and Keezha panangudi . Similar procession  of the goddess  takes place  during the  pongal festival also.  On Shivarathri day   there is a practice of fire pot  accompanying the Goddess    to her four villages. There is a huge crowd in this temple on  Tuesdays and Fridays.

    This village is 40 km away from Nannilam in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu and is on the banks of Mudikondan   river. The temple  is open from 9 Am to 12 noon  and 5 Pm to 8 Pm.

Semapudur village with several temples of village Gods

Semapudur  village  with several  temples  of village Gods

Compiled  by

P.R.Ramachander

       Semapudur   is a small  village   which is very near Keezha Iral   village which is on the  Madurai Thoothukudi road(108 km from Madurai) . The village has only about  150 houses  but has seventy different temples   dedicated  to various  village  Gods  of Tamil Nadu. Since no logical reason   or village  stories   are found   for the  reason of having   so many village  Gods  in a small  village  , experts believe  that once upon a time it was prominent town where  large number of villagers  from different villages   settled along with their family Gods .For  some unknown reason  ,  the town started  growing smaller  and the villagers  migrated to other places including towns. The face that  these people have  not forgotten   either the village  or   their family Gods  is proved by the fact that  during Maha Sivarathri festival and Panguni uthram festival   most of them reach back to this    village  to worship   their family  Gods.  These days are  celebrated with great grandeur   and pomp by  all the   guests  of the village They also come to the village for  the ear boring ceremony  and first head shaving   of their children . The invitation to the family God  is  invariably sent   to   their  respective family  Gods.

     This village also contains   some common  village God temples like  that  of Ayyanar (at the entrance of the village) , Munnodi Karuppan  , Maruthu Pandiar  , Sudalai Madan , Pala vesa kkaran , Malayamman  , Kaliyamman etc. The  research scholars  in several universities  should   study  this village  in a more thorough  manner   and find out  more about  the collection of village Gods.