Rasipuram Nithya Sumangali Maariyamman – Namakkal

Address

Thiruchengode – Rasipuram Rd, Rasipuram,

Namakkal district,

Tamil Nadu 637408

Amman

Sri Nithya Sumangali Mariamman

Introduction

This temple is about 1000 years old and is situated in Rasipuram, Namakkal of Tamil Nadu. Amman in the temple is a swayambumurthy with the honor of Nitya Sumangali Mariamman.

Puranic Significance

The place was fertile with green fields. A farmer, while tilling the land found a place bleeding. He brought all the people and while digging the place, they found a swayambu deity. Mother spoke through one of her devotees to build a temple for her in the place. People did it. Later, they built a temple installing an idol of Mother Mari Amman.

As a tradition, only during festivals, a wooden post with three branches (Kambam in Tamil) is planted in Mari Amman temples before Ambica. It is a permanent feature in this temple. It is said that Ambica has a direct view on this Kambam considered as Her Lord. Hence, she is praised as Nitya Sumangali Amman. Women believe that worshipping Amman would bless them a life with their husbands and absolute longevity to their Mangalsutras in their life time. People seeking child boon follow a strange puja in the temple. During the Aipasi festival, they remove the old Kambam and replace it with a new one. Take the old one to a well nearby, do pujas and offer curd rice nivedhana. Women seeking child boon worship the Kambam and consume the curd rice nivedhana so that they will get their wish-child boon. This temple is situated amidst four hills, Kollimalai, Alavai malai, Nainamalai and Bodhamalai. During the Aipasi festival Ambal is decorated with flowers called Poochattu. Worshipping during this time is considered a lucky opportunity for the devotees. The swayambu Amman is in the sanctum sanctorum before Ambica seated on a square stage-peeta. Swayambu Ambica is in the form of a Linga. The Yali Vahan – resembling a lion – is before Ambica. There is also a swing mandap. The foot prints of Ambica are on the swing. Women seeking child boon move the swing to and fro with their prayers. There are shrines for Lords Vinayaka and Muruga only in the prakara. There are other deities in the prakara.

Beliefs

People pray to Mari Amman for cure from all the diseases and those with vision problems in particular realizing their wishes, devotees carry fire pots and do body circumambulation-Angapradakshinam.

Special Features

Cooked raw rice is offered as nivedhana to the Lord of the temple. Sri Vinayaka of the temple is praised as Anugnai Vinayaka. The vimana of the temple is of hexagonal design.

In this temple before the Goddess a wooden post with three branches representing her husband (Kambam) is planted. Since the goddess is always able to see her husband, she is called as Nithya Sumangali. Women believe that offering worship to this Amman would also keep them as Nithya Sumangalis. Cooked rice is the normal offering of this temple.