There is scant history of the period before that though it is believed that the locals worship the Goddess for many centuries before building the current temple. In the early 18th century, King Vijayaraya Chakkaravarthi built the present day form of the temple. Samayapuram is the second most wealthy (in terms of cash flows) temple in Tamil Nadu after Palani. The temple attracts thousands of devotees on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, the holy days for Mariamman.
Offerings of raw salt is also made to the Goddess by the rural devotees. It is believed by the devotees that the Goddess has enormous powers over curing illnesses and hence, it is a ritual to buy small metallic replicas, made with silver or steel, of various body parts that need to be cured, and these are deposited in the donation box.ĭevotees also offer mavilakku, a sweet dish made of jaggery, rice flour and ghee. The main deity, Samayapurathal or Mariamman, a form of supreme mother goddess Durga or Maha Kali or Aadi Shakthi, is made of sand and clay like many of the traditional Mariamman deities, and hence unlike many other Hindu deities there are no abhishekams (sacred washing) conducted to the main deity, but instead the “abishekam” is done to the small stone statue in front of it. Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is a Hindu temple in Samayapuram near Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India.
