Samayapuram : Mariamman temple

place : Samayapuram

goddess : Maariamman

Sthala Vruksham: Neem Tree

How to reach?

Trichy is the nearest city with airport and railway station. Buses are frequently available from Trichy Chathiram bus stand. Bus from the city or call taxi will be the best way. Buses stop very near to temple.

About the temple

The temple has one shrine for very powerful Goddess mariamman. Goddess is also referred to as Magamayi and Samayapuratha. The place where the temple is built was named as Kannanur. The goddess is very famous and merciful towards devotees. Goddess has high curing powers and hence many small hand sized sculptures of body parts are bought from shops to put in temple Hundi. The idol of god is made from holy mud from putthu (anthills) found under neem tree and not made from metal or solid. No abhishegam (worshipping god with water) is done here for the moolasthanam idol(main idol in temple). Abhishegam is  performed for Utthsava moorthy. Uniquely, all round the year festivals are celebrated here, which will give the city a limelight of spiritual festive mood. There is a saying in Tamil "samayathil kaapal samayapurathaal" which means "Samayapuram maariamman will save devotees at the right time." The word "samayam" means "time". 

Poochoriyal (festival)

 Poochoriyal is celebrated from the month of March to April. Every week on Sunday, a big truck will start from different corners of the city and move around the town slowly. People will fill the truck with flowers. If the truck gets full, it will go to temple replaced by an empty truck. Devotees also bring flowers to temple. From sunrise to sunset, the flowers are rained on goddess beautifully. Devotees can witness the flowers raining on the goddess. Being a unique festival, very big gatherings of people will be present in the temple.

Temple website

click here to navigate to temple website.

History

When god took birth as Krishna to Vasudevar and Devaki and at the same time Maya devi took birth as girl baby to Yashodha and Nandhagopar, the babies were switched by Vasudevar and Nandhagopar with the grace of god. When Kamsan arrived at the prison of Devaki and Vasudevar, Maya Devi was there. Thinking this child is the "one", born to kill him, he raised the child in his hand but the child went up in the air and above him, she appeared as Maha maariamman. She laughed and told him, the child born to kill him is in another place and disappeared in air. She is believed to be Samayapuram Maha Maariamman. 

How she came to Samayapuram is a separate story. Samayapuram Mariamman was a deity in Srirangam temple in the name "Vaishnavi". She was not happy there and hence she was brought to Samayapuram, then the place was known as kannanur. Thick and dense trees were covering the place. People experienced very good changes once mariamman came to this place. People were able to travel in the forest without fear of robbery or any other obstacles. When it was known that samayapuram mariamman was the one protecting them, people started worshiping her. Vijayaranga Chokkanathar built a separate temple for the idol. 

 The idol for which Abhishegam takes place (Utsava moorthy) was worshipped by Kings of Vijayanagara. When their kingdom fell apart, the idol was bought here in a palanquin. When the palanquin bearers left the idol and went to have meal and came back, they could not lift back the palanquin. Hence she stayed here and the saying "Sainthal samayapuram, saathithaal kannapuram"!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading about the temple!!! Bye-bye!! See you all soon with another interesting post!!!