Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram – Legends
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.