Description
The temple we know as Salem Kottai Mariammam temple today was actually a fort in the ancient times of Chara kings. Earlier, the region of Salem was known as Chara Nadu. There were two temples in the premises; one was Perumal temple and the other was Mariamman temple. Chara kings considered Mariamman goddess as the guardian deity and regarded her with the name Goddess Periya Marimman.The current temple came into existence later when Kanakasabai Mudaliar and Siva Sankara Mudaliar placed the goddess Periya Mariamman to the eastern bank of Thirumanimuthu river. They performed special Kumbabhishekam (holy bath with holy water). There are written evidences in the form of prose that confirms the history of the temple. As per the poem, the goddess was found on the fort (known as Pariya Mari). When the goddess appeared in the area, the area of Salem also came into existence. This poem proves that the temple has a great history, and the age of the temple is at least 500 years. As per record, it is one of the oldest surviving temples in the Salem district. Archeological and religious importance of this magnificent place makes it a “must visit” destination of Tamil Nadu.
Importance/Significance
This temple is admired for a fantastic architecture and perfect workmanship. The main mandapam (Sannadhi Mandapam) has 9 magnificent pillars with eye-catching sculptures of people worshipping the goddess. In the pillars of Parrot Mandapam (Kili Mandapam) there are sculptures of the goddess Kali beating Arakkan by the leg.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
It is possible to take the glimpses of Goddess Mariamman from 6AM to 9PM daily. The temple remains closed between 2PM to 4PM in the noon. During festivals Lacks of people visit the place. Special Abhisheka Aradhanai is performed during 1200 hrs to 1400 hrs till the Mandir closes. They charge 25 Rs for each Abhishekam in the normal days. Charges for the special occasions vary depending on the festival.There are various festivals get celebrated throughout the year. Vinayak Chaturthi, Navratri, Deepawali, Krthkai, Thai Pongal and Sivratri are the major one. The most important festival is Aadi Festival that happens in the Aadi month of Tamil Nadu. It lasts for 22 days where millions of people go to the temple during this period. It comes in the months of July and August every year.
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