Mariamman is a Tamil folk goddess, whose worship probably originated in pre-Vedic India. She is the main mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu. In the post-Vedic period, Māri was associated with Hindu goddesses like Parvati, Kali and Durga as well as with her North Indian counterpart Sitala Devi and Eastern Indian counterpart Manasa. Though her origin is believed to be Proto-Dravidian or non-Vedic, Goddess Maariamman has been incorporated into the Hindu pantheon as the sister of Lord Vishnu (Sriranganathar) and called Mahamaya.
The word Mari (pronunciation: /maari/) has a sangam Tamil origin meaning "Rain" and the Tamil word Amman means "Mother". She was worshipped by the ancient Tamils as the bringer of rains and thus also the bringer of prosperity, since the abundance of their crops was dependent largely upon adequate rainfall. The cult of the mother goddess is treated as an indication of a society which venerated feminity. The temples of the Sangam days, mainly of Madurai, seem to have had priestesses to the deity, which also appear predominantly as goddesses.
The Tamil month of Aadi (Aashada) falls during the second half of the year known as Dakshinayanam when the Sun transits from the northern hemisphere to the Southern during July. The transition from the Southern to the Northern hemisphere in the month of January is known as Uthirayanam. From time immemorial, both these periods have been considered as auspicious for the worship of the Gods and Goddesses. Thousands of people view the month of Aadi as the sacred month of the Mother Goddess and women in large numbers partake in several rituals and ceremonies during this month. The month is considered extremely auspicious for performing religious activities and worshipping the divine, especially the goddesses. Hence, this month is generally avoided for any auspicious ceremony such as wedding etc. and is exclusively dedicated to the worship of the Mother Goddess.
Maariamman is usually portrayed as a young, beautiful woman with a red-hued face, and wearing a red dress. Sometimes she is portrayed with many arms, representing her many powers and aspects, but in most representations she has only two or four arms. Her hands may display some mudra and her usual attributes are with the trident or spear and the bowl. Mariamman’s attributes are usually derived from the mythological stories told about her.
Mariamman was popularly known as the Smallpox Goddess before this dreaded disease was eradicated in India in the 1950s. Even today, according to popular belief, she cures all so-called heat-based diseases like pox and rashes. During the summer months in South India (March to June), people walk miles carrying pots of water mixed with turmeric and neem leaves to ward off illnesses like the measles and chicken pox. In this form Goddess Maariamman is very similar in characteristics to Sitala Devi, her counterpart in North India.
Goddess Maariamman is also worshipped as a Goddess of Fertility in the month of Aadi. People in all parts of the State offer prayers to Goddess Maariamman for progeny, a good spouse, etc. The most favoured offering is pongal, a mix of rice and green gram, cooked mostly in the temple complex or shrine itself in terracotta pots using firewood.
Most people believe that she is the goddess Kali or the form of Renuka Devi who was the mother of Parasurama, some people believe that she is Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas and yet others believe that she is Vasugi, the wife of Thiruvalluvar.
In Mahabharata, Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas, is said to be an incarnation of Maha Kali. This was known to no one but Sri Krishna. Draupadi, despite being Maha kali, lived like a normal woman, suppressing her supernatural powers. But during the night, when Pandavas were asleep, she would travel to the Villages of Vanniyar (Kshatriya) in the form of Maha Kali. Vanniyars would offer her puja and barley, which pleased her. In time Mariyamman become popular in the Vanniyar villages. Local goddesses such as Mariamman who were believed to protect villages and their lands irrespective of the different castes of their worshippers have always been an important part of the religious landscape of South. In Northern India, Sitala Devi was worshipped in a similar way, predominantly by the Rajput/Kshatriya community. Sitala Devi has a similar background story and plays a similar role in protecting villages.
The worship of Mariamman is representative of three significant aspects:
An expression of gratitude towards Nature for its blessings of rain, fertility and the resultant prosperity.
The importance given and the reverence shown towards feminity.
The cutting across caste and social distinctions thereby enabling a harmonious togetherness.
Through this worship a bonding with the goddess occurs, which is the underlining reason for the worship and this in turn takes each individual towards self-realization, creating an awareness of samsara and moksha.
