Description
The Samayapuram Mariamman Devi Temple is located in Samayapuram near the Tamil city called Tiruchirappalli, which is found in the state of Tamil Nadu. The main deity of the shrine is called Samayapurathal or Mariamman and is made out of sand and clay. Thus no sacred bathing or abhishekam is done. The Goddess is said to cure all illnesses and the devotees pray to her so that she can get rid of their illnesses. Samayapuram is the second richest temple in Tamil Nadu.
History
The history of the temple is uncertain though it is believed that King Vijayaraya Chakravarty in the eighteenth century built the temple in the form in which it stands today. According to one belief, the deity that was at the Ranganathaswamy temple which is situated at Srirangam was removed from there by a priest due to a superstition.
Importance/Significance
samayapuram is an important temple in terms of culture, sociology and religion. Many devotees perform extreme penance by inflicting pain on their bodies by walking over hot charcoal to show their devotion. The temple is well revered not only in India but also abroad. People in South Africa, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Singapore are loyal to the temple. A similar Samayapuram Mariammam temple is also found at Jurong in West Singapore.
Facts/Mythology
Holy scriptures have defined the Goddess as the creator of the entire universe and all the life forms on earth. She has created Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar or Shiva and is the creator of the entire cosmos thus. There are many forms of this all powerful Mother and Goddess Durga is a form of this Mother Goddess who defeated the demon Mahishshura, after a fierce battle. After the battle, the entire existence was in threat due to her ferocity. She had become extremely violent. The terrified gods prayed to her to calm down and then she covered herself with lots of flowers and sat down to penance on the riverbank of Cauvery for twenty-eight days. This place was Samayapuram. She had undertaken the penance for the good of mankind. It is said that the powers of the universe- the powers of the twenty seven stars and nine planets amalgamated in her. This form is known Samayapuram Mariammam. The powerful Mother here is in a calm and benevolent form. She is all merciful. She is eight handed with which she blesses her devotees and the diamond band on her head signifies her dazzling brilliance equivalent to a thousand suns.
Festivals/Events/Gatherings
The festivals celebrated here at the Samayapuram Mariamman Devi Temple are:- � Thai Poosam festival is celebrated in the month of Thai, a Tamil month.
� Special rituals are observed on all the Fridays of Thai and Aadi.
� The Chariot festival is celebrated on a grand scale, here for 13 days in the Tamil month of Chittirai. It starts on the first Tuesday of that month. The Goddess is put on a chariot and it is pulled by devotees all around the temple area.
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