Thayamangalam Sri Muthumariamman Temple, Sivaganga

Address

Thayamangalam,

Sivaganga District,

Tamil Nadu– 630 709

Phone: +91 4564 206 614

Amman

Sri Muthumariamman

Introduction

The Muthumariamman Temple, dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, is a significant religious site located in Thayamangalam in the Sivagangai District of Tamil Nadu, India.

Deity and Significance:

The primary deity of the temple is Muthumaari Amman, who is a powerful goddess known for resolving people’s prayers and problems.
Devotees believe that by worshiping Muthumaari Amman, they can seek blessings and solutions to various issues in their lives.

Puranic Significance

Historical Legend:

The temple has a remarkable legend associated with its origin. About 300 years ago, farmers from the Ramnad region traded their crops in the Pandya kingdom’s capital city, known as Maduraiyampathi.
One of the prominent traders was Muthuchettiar, who was well-known for his integrity and devotion to the deities Meenakshi and Chokkanathar.
Despite his wealth, Muthuchettiar and his wife did not have any children, which was a cause of concern for them.
During one of his journeys back home from Maduraiyampathi, he came across a three-year-old girl who was abandoned and crying in Chinnamanur.
Muthuchettiar decided to take care of the child, feeling that this was a blessing from the gods, as there was no one else around to care for the child.
However, on his way home, he left the child by the banks of a river to take a bath. Upon his return, he found the child missing and searched in vain to find her.
That night, the child appeared in his dream and directed him to a cactus forest, where she told him to create an idol and worship it. The child also requested that her name be combined with his, leading to the name “Muthumaari” for the idol.
The people of the village constructed a thatch-roofed temple using sand from the riverside where the child was found.
The temple’s history and significance led to the construction of a black stone statue of the Goddess and a temple building in 1914.
The descendants of Muthuchettiar have been maintaining the temple for seven generations.

The Muthumariamman Temple is not only a place of worship but also a testament to the legend of Muthuchettiar and the unique customs associated with the goddess. It continues to be an important religious site for devotees seeking blessings and solutions to their problems.

Special Features

Unique Practices:

Muthumariamman is worshipped as a virgin deity as she is depicted as a child.
Devotees who seek blessings for marriage offer a gold pearl at her feet, instead of the traditional offering of a mangal sutra.
An “Archanai” ritual is performed at the same time for both the Moolavar (main deity) and Urchavar (procession deity) in different locations within the temple.

Festivals

Navarathri in September-October, abishek with 108 pots of milk and special pujas in the month of Aadi (July-August) and Thai (January-February) are importantly celebrated in the temple. Childless parents, when they get a baby after their prayers, they place the baby in a cradle made of sugarcane and the mother’s cotton sari and they come around the temple, giving thanks to the goddess. Devotees offer even different parts of the bodies made of steel, like the pair of eyes, hands legs, and even a full clay toy, praying the goddess to cure their diseases.