Pachai Pattini Viratham) - Samayapuram fest begins in all earnest on 8th March 2015
Jambunathan Iyer
The fasting (locally known as Pachai Pattini Viratham) - Samayapuram fest begins in all earnest on 8th March 2015
The Poochoriyal (ritual sprinkling of flowers over the idol of the presiding deity) festival of Samayapuram Mariamman temple got underway this Sunday, the first of the four consecutive Sundays during the Tamil months of Masi and Panguni when the festival is celebrated with religious fervour and generous offerings to the Moolavar.
The fourth Sunday on March 29th will culminate in the much-awaited car festival in the temple, which has of late become a famous religious centre for Shakti cults.
The highlight of the annual festival would be that the Moolavar, the Shakti, deviating from the beaten religious track, would herself fast for four weeks in order to safeguard the interests of her countless devotees. This is the only temple in the country where the Moolavar herself, instead of devotees, is fasting for the sake her devotees. It is reported by few devotees that more than one lakh people visited the temple on Sunday. During the period of Amman fasting, the Shakti will not be offered the usual Neiveidyams (offerings of cooked items), but only light drinks such as tender coconut, sugar candy, jiggery water, and butter milk.
The fasting (locally known as Pachai Pattini Viratham) will be observed by the Amman to ward off the negative spell emanating from Her torture of Mayasuran, the villain of the righteous in the religious context.
To mark the occasion, hundreds of locals carried baskets flowers through the Rajaveedhis of Samayapuram followed by the ritual procession of temple elephants. The temple and its vicinity wore a festive look, and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department had made elaborate arrangements for the staging of various kinds of folk arts at strategic locations.
Breif details of Temple and Amman
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is situated on Tiruchirappalli Chennai NH 45, just 20 kms north of Tiruchirappalli town.The Maariamman Temple here, is one of the well visited shrines in Tamilnadu, dedicated to Maariamman, a manifestation of the primeval energy Shakti as the mother Goddess all sundays, tuesdays and fridays hundreds of devotees throng the temple and perform Poojas.
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.
Legend has it that Shiva created Kali, out of the poison that he had swallowed, and decreed that he kill Daarukaasuran. 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 Mahamaayi or Seethala Gowri.
The offerings are in various forms.The most common offering is the Mavilakku Mavu made of jagery, riceflour,dhal and ghee.
Dasaratha, father of Rama is said to have worshipped here. It is believed that the processional image of Mariamman was in the possession of the Vijayanagar monarchs and that as their empire neared destruction, this image was brought down to Tamilnadu in an ivory palanquin.
It is believed that the palanquin bearers placed image on the ground and paused for rest, and then found themselves to be unable to lift it off the ground. A temple was then established in the vicinity of Tiruchirappalli, which was later expanded by Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai of the 18th century. Samayapuram was the local capital of Vijayanagar rulers and was known as Vikramapuram.
This temple has separate shrines for the processional image of Mariamman and the moolavar in the sanctum. There is also a shrine to Karuppannasaami a local deity.
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