Re - Mariamman

December 2, 2001

Dear Dirk,

I shall give you some information on Mariamman, which you may find

useful if you do not already know.

She is the deity in charge of the diseases of measles, chicken pox

and the dreaded smallpox, which go under the collective name of '

Ammai '. ' Ammai ' of course means ' mother ' and here it refers to

mother Mariamman.

Measles is called ' Vilayaattu Ammai ' - ' Vilayaattu means '

play ', ' playful ' - suggesting that it is a 'playful' visit of

Mother, that it is relatively harmless.

Chicken pox is called ' Chinna ' ' Ammai ', meaning ' small ' '

Ammai '. Smallpox is known as ' peria ' Ammai, meaning ' Big ' Ammai,

as it is more virulent than chicken pox. These diseases are

traditionally believed to be 'visitations' caused by the Mothers

anger, and immediate measures are taken to pacify Her. Traditionally

people believed that one should not go to the doctor or take any

other medicine or treatment other than Poojas and offering to the

Devi.

The leaves of the neem tree and water to which a lot of powder of the

Turmeric is added, are used to bathe the sores, and these are also

used in her puja at all times (whether there is affliction or not).

The fruit of the lime is also offered to her, and often a lot of

these fruits are strung together with needle and thread to form a

garland, which is put around her neck.

Traditionally, (no longer practised in most places, perhaps still

done in villages, I don't know) a house where there is a visitation,

was marked by a bunch of neem leaves tied to the front door. This was

both to act as anti-septic, and to warn others not to visit the

house, which was in quarantine! The medicinal antiseptic properties

of both neem and turmeric have now been recognized by some countries

of the west, which want to patent them.

Mariamman is usually dressed in yellow-colored Saree, although red is

also used. A lot of turmeric powder is used in her worship, and she

is bathed in water to which the same is added.

In the North of India, Sitala Devi is dressed in red clothes usually.

By the way in the North, the above-mentioned diseases are called '

Devi '. In the South, the term " Maha Mayi " is also used both to

denote the goddess and the diseases over which she presides.

There is one practice particularly connected with the worship of

Mariamman. This is called 'Maa Vilakku'. Here Maa Is the colloquial

for Maavu meaning flour- or dough -rice flour in this case. Vilakku

means lamp. A soft dough is made of rice-flour and unrefined sugar,

some pieces of coconut are added to this dough, and it is shaped into

a bowl. This is placed on a metal plate and Ghee (Butter melted and

heated to a high degree till all the moisture evaporate-I think this

is called 'clarified butter') or oil is poured into this 'lamp' and

cotton wicks are put into this and lit before her shrine. When all

the ghee or oil has been used up, a puja is done, and the dough,

which has now been deliciously (lightly) cooked, is eaten as prasad.

This Maa Vilakku is sometimes offered to other Davis also as a

tradition in some families, but is particularly offered to Mariamman

as a thanks giving after someone has recovered from 'Ammai'.

In some families every year this is routinely done, to ward

off 'Ammai', perhaps started a long time ago when there was actual

attack of the disease, may be fatal, or some miraculous recovery, or

a real bad epidemic in the area.

The Mariamman temple of Samayapuram near Trichirapally is one of the

most famous and She is a very powerful goddess. You must have heard

of Her. I have this information about the temple that they have

special rooms and arrangement for stay of those afflicted with '

Ammai '. These patients are allowed into the temple for Dharshan at

particular times in a day, and the puja is done, and the 'holy water'

from the puja is given to them. They are also given some prasad,

which will be their main diet. I do not know further details about

this. I have been told that there is perfect recovery if it

is 'ammai'. Some people with various other diseases also come

nowadays, I was told, and they do not recover. Filariasis was one of

the 'other' diseases mentioned to me. My informant was an official

connected to this temple till he retired.

Mariamman is usually considered a 'village' deity. But my Guru

alerted me to the fact that She is indeed the same as Adi Sakthi, the

primordial 'Sakthi " or Mother Goddess. In the Durga Sapthasathi She

claims that She herself is Mari and Mahahamari.

As I already said, she is offered the lime- fruit. In one Dhyana

Sloka she is said to reside in or under (I do not remember) a lime-

tree. In one mantra, the term ' nimba-priyayai ' is used - meaning '

She who loves lime-fruit '.

The month of Adi (Tamil Calendar) Mid-July to Mid-August is Her month

and all the temples celebrate special festivals in her honour and to

appease her.

I hope at least some of these will be of some use to you. These are

the facts that came to my mind when I thought of Mother Mariamman.

Jai Maa!

V.R.Rukmani.

December 2, 2001

Dear Sankar,

Thank you very much for your wonderful information on Mariamman. Soon you will find more about her on www.Mariamman.org which is now still a very small website.

Dirk

>"Sankar Viswanathan"

> > > Re - Mariamman >Sun, 02 Dec 2001 18:04:52 -0000 > >Dear Dirk, > >I shall give you some information on Mariamman, which you may find >useful if you do not already know. > >She is the deity in charge of the diseases of measles, chicken pox >and the dreaded smallpox, which go under the collective name of ' >Ammai '. ' Ammai ' of course means ' mother ' and here it refers to >mother Mariamman. > >Measles is called ' Vilayaattu Ammai ' - ' Vilayaattu means ' >play ', ' playful ' - suggesting that it is a 'playful' visit of >Mother, that it is relatively harmless. > >Chicken pox is called ' Chinna ' ' Ammai ', meaning ' small ' ' >Ammai '. Smallpox is known as ' peria ' Ammai, meaning ' Big ' Ammai, >as it is more virulent than chicken pox. These diseases are >traditionally believed to be 'visitations' caused by the Mothers >anger, and immediate measures are taken to pacify Her. Traditionally >people believed that one should not go to the doctor or take any >other medicine or treatment other than Poojas and offering to the >Devi. > >The leaves of the neem tree and water to which a lot of powder of the >Turmeric is added, are used to bathe the sores, and these are also >used in her puja at all times (whether there is affliction or not). >The fruit of the lime is also offered to her, and often a lot of >these fruits are strung together with needle and thread to form a >garland, which is put around her neck. > >Traditionally, (no longer practised in most places, perhaps still >done in villages, I don't know) a house where there is a visitation, >was marked by a bunch of neem leaves tied to the front door. This was >both to act as anti-septic, and to warn others not to visit the >house, which was in quarantine! The medicinal antiseptic properties >of both neem and turmeric have now been recognized by some countries >of the west, which want to patent them. > >Mariamman is usually dressed in yellow-colored Saree, although red is >also used. A lot of turmeric powder is used in her worship, and she >is bathed in water to which the same is added. >In the North of India, Sitala Devi is dressed in red clothes usually. >By the way in the North, the above-mentioned diseases are called ' >Devi '. In the South, the term " Maha Mayi " is also used both to >denote the goddess and the diseases over which she presides. > >There is one practice particularly connected with the worship of >Mariamman. This is called 'Maa Vilakku'. Here Maa Is the colloquial >for Maavu meaning flour- or dough -rice flour in this case. Vilakku >means lamp. A soft dough is made of rice-flour and unrefined sugar, >some pieces of coconut are added to this dough, and it is shaped into >a bowl. This is placed on a metal plate and Ghee (Butter melted and >heated to a high degree till all the moisture evaporate-I think this >is called 'clarified butter') or oil is poured into this 'lamp' and >cotton wicks are put into this and lit before her shrine. When all >the ghee or oil has been used up, a puja is done, and the dough, >which has now been deliciously (lightly) cooked, is eaten as prasad. > >This Maa Vilakku is sometimes offered to other Davis also as a >tradition in some families, but is particularly offered to Mariamman >as a thanks giving after someone has recovered from 'Ammai'. >In some families every year this is routinely done, to ward >off 'Ammai', perhaps started a long time ago when there was actual >attack of the disease, may be fatal, or some miraculous recovery, or >a real bad epidemic in the area. > >The Mariamman temple of Samayapuram near Trichirapally is one of the >most famous and She is a very powerful goddess. You must have heard >of Her. I have this information about the temple that they have >special rooms and arrangement for stay of those afflicted with ' >Ammai '. These patients are allowed into the temple for Dharshan at >particular times in a day, and the puja is done, and the 'holy water' >from the puja is given to them. They are also given some prasad, >which will be their main diet. I do not know further details about >this. I have been told that there is perfect recovery if it >is 'ammai'. Some people with various other diseases also come >nowadays, I was told, and they do not recover. Filariasis was one of >the 'other' diseases mentioned to me. My informant was an official >connected to this temple till he retired. > >Mariamman is usually considered a 'village' deity. But my Guru >alerted me to the fact that She is indeed the same as Adi Sakthi, the >primordial 'Sakthi" or Mother Goddess. In the Durga Sapthasathi She >claims that She herself is Mari and Mahahamari. > >As I already said, she is offered the lime- fruit. In one Dhyana >Sloka she is said to reside in or under (I do not remember) a lime- >tree. In one mantra, the term ' nimba-priyayai ' is used - meaning ' >She who loves lime-fruit '. > >The month of Adi (Tamil Calendar) Mid-July to Mid-August is Her month >and all the temples celebrate special festivals in her honour and to >appease her. > >I hope at least some of these will be of some use to you. These are >the facts that came to my mind when I thought of Mother Mariamman. > >Jai Maa! > >V.R.Rukmani. > > > >