Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram, Trichy

Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram, Trichy

Architecture

Legend / Local stories

Lord Shiva created Kali from Kaalakoota poison:

Legend has it that Shiva created Kali, out of the poison that he had swallowed, and decreed that he kill Darukasura. Having originated from the Kaalakoota poison, she assumed the name Kaali. Mariamman is believed to be a form of Kaali, and is also known as Mahamayee or Seethala Gowri.

Emperor Dasaratha visited Samayapuram:

There is also a story that Emperor Dasaratha visited Samayapuram to worship Mariamman.

Mariamman:

Local variations of the worship of Shakti, the mother Goddess are seen throughout the Indian subcontinent. Mariamman is a form of Shakti worshipped in Tamilnadu, and is associated with prosperity and health. Local beliefs associate this deity with cures for diseases such as small pox and chicken pox.

Legendary association with Vikramaditya:

This Temple legend dates back to the period of Vikramaditya. He undertook penance in this Neem Forest and had darshan of kali. It was then that Ambal appeared here as a Swayambu idol.

Headquarters of Amman Temples:

Samayapuram is said to be the headquarters of Amman temples.

Gifts from Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu:

Shiva, Vishnu and Brahmma are believed to have invoked the blessings of Mariamman of Samayapuram. To this day, in memory of this legend, she receives gifts on the day of the Chariot Festival from the Jambukeswarar temple in Thiruvanaikaval. Only after receiving the gifts, does she alight from the Chariot and head back to her sanctum. Similarly, on Thai Poosam day, Amman makes an early morning trip to the Coloroon and stays in the Coloroon in the night and returns the next day only after collecting gifts from her family – Srirangam Lord.

Amman changes Form:

In the middle of the last century, Tamil cinema actors funded the Poochoridal festival. Dhadhyonam was presented to several thousands of devotees who came in from villages across the state. During the Poochoridal festival, one can see the Mariamman in slim and plump forms. During those 28 days true devotees are able to visualize her change from slim to plump form. This was seen as an aakrosham period for her and she is anointed with only Uthiri flowers and not garlands.

Sakthi Peedam:

The reason behind Lord Siva bestowing such powers to cure the dreaded Pox diseases to Devi Samayapuram Mariamman is connected with the Puranic legend in which when Goddess Parvathi committed suicide and her body carried away by Lord Siva. On way wherever parts of her body fell they became Sakthi Peedam. Her eyes reportedly fell in S. Kannanur and when Samayapuram Devi Mariamman manifested as aspect of Goddess Parvathi in S. Kannanur Lord Siva bestowed her with thousand eyes and thus she automatically got the powers to cure the Small Pox and Chicken Pox diseases as the boils of Small Pox and Chicken Pox were likened to smaller eyes of Goddess Parvathi.

Devotees belief and fear on Samayapurathal:

The extent of belief and fear on Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman is so deep that even by mistake if someone casually uttered that they would visit Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman temple to offer prayers for one reason or the other, without fail they would visit the temple at least once in their lifetime to offer prayer to the Goddess even if their prayer had not been fulfilled, lest it will be viewed as insult by the deity and severe problems in many forms will haunt their family or in their own life.

Origin of this Temple:

The origin and history of this temple is unclear and sketchy. Several stories float on its origin, all of which are word of mouth stories only. The deity, believed to have manifested of its own in the form of clay has been reportedly worshipped by the villagers, in the same place which was jungle area several centuries ago. The general belief has been that the then unknown deity, now known as Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman has been worshipped in open area before 1000 years.

The fact that the deity was Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman and manifested there, thousands of years ago as an aspect of Sakthi Devi has been revealed by Devi herself to the devotees through one of the devotees who was possessed by her in the temple festivals. Since the principal deity was of clay, another small deity carved out of stone was has been reportedly made and kept before her to which Abishekam is done and Pooja is performed to ensure the main deity is not damaged.

Deity removed from Srirangam Temple:

The folklore mentions that much before 18th century when the temple did not exist a deity believed to be aspect of Parasakthi (they did not know that it was Goddess Mariamman) was worshipped in the temple of Ranganatha Swamy in Srirangam. But as the Pundit in the temple experienced severe health problems after the idol was installed and he feared that the cause of his problem was due to the deity, he ensured that the deity was removed from there and kept inside the jungle under a tree. The jungle was no other place but Samayapuram then.

The locals in the Village reportedly worshipped Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman as village deity without even knowing the origin, name or other aspect of the female deity they worshipped. Those days out of fear blind belief and worship of self-manifested deities were common. The folklore further mentions that soon when the passersby and travelers felt that the deity in the jungle was protecting them like a guardian deity, they raised a small wall like structure around the idol and converted it into a worship place.

True to their belief ever since the deity began to be prayed, people travelled fear free of robbers and animals. Much beyond protection, the villagers experienced that those who prayed to the deity found their desires getting fulfilled. Those were the days when the local deities in the villages held sway over people.

Vijayanagar Kings built this Temple after winning a War:

As per another lore, the existence of the shrine inside the jungle and the immense power wielded by the deity made people believe that if satisfied with proper offerings and sacrifices she will grant the boons the devotees seek. When this belief spread, the rulers of Vijayanagara emperors who were camping in the district of Tiruchirappalli (which was actually their army base) too reportedly came there to offer prayers and during one of their visits they made commitment to construct a temple if they won the war for which they were camping there and when turned victorious, they constructed the temple in the name of Kannanur Mariamman temple.

Family Deity of Vijayanagara Kings:

There is yet another belief exists. An unnamed female deity was worshipped by the Emperors of Vijayanagara while they were in Trichy, and when they faced defeat in the war that was going on, they began retreating from there and carried the deity too along with them. It was customary for Emperors of Vijayanagara to carry the deity they worshipped wherever they went and camped. On way of retreat, they happened to pass through Samayapuram, which was then a jungle area and rested there for few hours. When they began to move again, the deity could not be lifted from the ground on which it was placed and therefore they had to leave it there after constructing a roofless structure around the deity which later on came to be worshipped by the travelers and passersby seeking her grace and protection. The small roofless structure was converted into a big temple for Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman by the later rulers.

Story behind building this Temple:

One of the legends in many such stories floating state that, once during the invasion of a Muslim ruler, the idol worshipped by the locals was forcibly taken away by the invaders to break it in their land before their King. On way when they reached a Canal, they kept the idol and other belongings on the bank of the Canal and rested for a while to get freshened up. After taking bath in the Canal, they returned back to commence the travel, but found that the idol was missing while all other belongings were safe. Even after searching the entire area they could not find the idol and therefore the frustrated solders went away without further searching for the idol.

Few days after the soldiers moved away, some of the villagers found the deity inside a bush surrounded by Neem trees and fearing that the deity could be powerful, they began worshiping the deity in the same place after cleaning the surroundings. Nobody knew how the idol went and hid into the bush. When one of the rulers named Vijaya Ranga Chokkanathar of Vijayanagar came to know of the greatness of the unknown deity, he constructed a temple for the goddess in Samayapuram and consecrated the idol inside the temple after realizing from his Raja guru that the deity was aspect of Parasakthi. Thus, came the temple of Goddess Samayapuram Mariamman says the devotees.

Photo Gallery

How to Reach:

The Temple is located at about 1.5 kms from Adhi Mariamman Temple, 500 meters from Samayapuram New Bus Stand, 350 meters from Samayapuram Temple Old Bus Stand, 6 Kms from Manachanallur, 12 Kms from Thiruvellarai, 12 Kms from Thiruppainjeeli, 12 Kms from Pachur, 11 Kms from Srirangam, 9 Kms from Thiruvanaikoil and 16 Kms from Trichy. The temple lies just on the Trichy – Chennai highways (NH 45), with frequently available state and town bus services and is well connected to Trichy. Nearest Railway Stations are located at Pichandar kovil (9 Kms) and Trichy (20 Kms). Nearest Airport is located at Trichy (21 Kms).

Contact Details

Mariamman Temple,
Samayapuram – 621 112,
Trichy District,
Phone: +91 431 2670460 / 2670907 / 2670557
Mobile: +91 99762 77029
Fax: +91 431 2670557
Email: [email protected]