Karaikudi Sri Muthu Mari Amman Temple, Sivaganga

Address

Karaikudi Sri Muthu Mari Amman Temple

Karaikudi, Sivaganga district,

Tamil Nadu– 630 001,

Phone: +91 4565 232199

Amman

Sri Muthu Mari Amman

Introduction

• Location: Sri Muthu Mari Amman Temple is located at the heart of Karaikudi town, in Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.
• Presiding Deity: Sri Muthu Mari Amman.
• The temple is a prominent religious and cultural landmark in Karaikudi.

Puranic Significance:

• On November 8, 1956, a young girl named Lalitha came to this place from Meenakshipuram, afflicted with smallpox.
• Her words and actions were perceived as divine, displaying auspicious powers that many initially doubted.
• A man who mocked her, known as the Tomato man, realized her divinity after a miraculous event.
• The girl identified herself as Muthu Mari Amman and promised to protect the residents if they built a temple for her. She assured peace and prosperity for all before attaining mukti (salvation).
• The temple was established on November 17, 1956, fulfilling her divine request.

Beliefs:

• The temple is particularly known for granting:
  • Childbirth blessings.
  • Success in marriage alliances.
• Devotees carry out rituals such as:
  • Jumping Vel (Spear).
  • Carrying milk and fire pots.
  • Offering tomatoes and Mulaipari (sprouted grains).

Special Features:

• The temple attracts devotees not just from India but also from Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, and other countries.
• A notable incident involves a young girl demonstrating her divinity by revealing the existence of a tomato in a skeptic’s backyard. Her accuracy astonished the man, who then brought the fruit and sought her blessings.
• This event has since become a cornerstone of the temple’s legend and devotion.

Festivals:

• The temple hosts grand celebrations, with the primary festival being the Kappukatti Vizha:
  • Begins: Last Tuesday of the Tamil month Masi (February–March).
  • Ends: First Tuesday of Panguni (March–April).
• Key rituals and events include:
  • Offering Pongal, Mulaipari, and performing Karakam dance.
  • Devotees walk on the fire pit and carry milk pots or fire pots as acts of devotion.
  • Ritual baths in the Muthalamman temple spring.
• Milk Abhishekam:
  • Devotees carry milk pots in a grand procession through various streets, offering milk to the deity in an elaborate ritual resembling a milk cascade.
• The festival culminates with Amman’s Alankaram (sandalwood adornment) and a majestic procession of the deity.

Century/Period

500- 1000 Years Old

Nearest Bus Station

Karaikudi

Nearest Railway Station

Karaikudi Junction

Nearest Airport

Madurai

Location on Map

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