Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram – Prayers
It is
believed by the devotees that the Goddess has enormous powers over curing
illnesses and hence, it is a ritual to buy small metallic replicas, made with
silver or steel, of various body parts that need to be cured, and these are
deposited in the donation box. Devotees also offer Mavilakku, a sweet dish made of jaggery, rice flour and ghee. Offerings
of raw salt is also made to the Goddess by the rural devotees. Every Sunday,
Tuesday and Friday, hundreds of devotees throng the temple and perform Poojas.
Local
beliefs associate this deity with cures for diseases such as small pox and
chicken pox. Mother Mariamman undergoes a fast for the welfare of mankind for
28 days from the last Sunday of Masi month-February-March. During these days no
cooked preparation is offered as Nivedhana but only some flour, orange, grapes
and green coconut. For completing this fasting, abishek is offered to Amman
only with flowers – Poo in Tamil and this event is known as Poo Choridal.
Those
suffering from measles for a long time, come here and stay till they are cured,
light Maavilakku (a lamp made of flour and Jaggery paste with ghee) and return
back with their soul and mind left in the temple. They only physically go
back. The Goddess fulfils any aspiration of the devotee. The disabled and those
with impaired vision pray to Mother Mariamman for reliefs. Devotees also
pray for agricultural yields and business development.
Tonsuring,
Archanas, Abishek are largely followed. Ear boring is undertaken here. Devotees
pull the golden chariot, carry fire pots, punch their faces, roll round the
temple, offer cradles made of sugarcane, light lamps made of flour and ghee for
15 days during Thaipoosam festival in January-February, offer paddy, donate
grains, sheep, cocks as prayer commitments. They also feed the poor.
Thali
the Mangal Sutra offered by women are the majority of the offerings in the
Hundi of the temple. Diseases are cured without surgery in many cases. Many devotees visit this temple from Karnataka, as Mariamman resembles the
Chamundeeswari of Mysore. It is the faith of the people that Mariamman will
protect them though they are far away from her in other places of the world.
