South Indian goddesses of pandemics and plagues

Jul 24, 2020 • 2 min read

The goddess is usually clad in a red sari or smeared with vermillion to signify her wrath over demons of pestilence. The deity in many temples has four arms to show her many multitasking abilities to fight demons and offer healing food and protection to her devotees. ©Wikipedia/Public Domain

Mariamman is a south Indian goddess who fights plagues, poxes, and pandemics whose temples are found in south India and Southeast Asia.

Much before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cult of Mariamman has always had devotees throng the temples in Tamil Nadu. Mari or goddess of rain is the female deity worshipped to cool the heat and the rash of summer pestilences.

Large gatherings may not be allowed for offering worship in temples due to the pandemic. However, the tradition of worshipping the goddess of pestilence carries on.

Mariamman is called Muthu Mariamman in some villages. Muthu is a pearl in Tamil and refers to the pearl-like-boils or poxes that erupt over the fevered body. She is also simply called Amman or mother. The pre-Vedic goddess has temples located across villages and towns in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and some neighbouring states in south India which attract hundreds of pilgrims.

Between March and June, pilgrims in Tamil Nadu carry pots of cool turmeric-laced water with neem leaves and limes, as these are believed to have curative and antiseptic properties. The water is offered as an oblation to the Mariamman deity.

Mariamman idols are often draped in garlands of limes and neem leaves by devotees. The folk deity is offered a congee called pongal that is distributed to devotees in the temple for free as blessed food.

The goddess is usually clad in a red sari or smeared with vermillion to signify her wrath over demons of pestilence. The deity in many temples has four arms to show her many multitasking abilities to fight demons and offer healing food and protection to her devotees. ©Wikipedia/Public Domain

Samayapuram Mariamman Temple in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu is a 17th-century temple that draws thousands of devotees to its summer festival called Theipoosam. Devotees offer extreme sacrificial forms of worship during this festival to the goddess.

The Mariamman Temple in a prominent part of Bangkok city was built in the late 19th century by Tamils who migrated to Thailand and draws both Indian and Thai devotees to its festivals. ©Wikipedia/m-louis.® from Osaka, Japan

The cult of Mariamman has spread across many parts of Southeast Asia where Tamils migrated decades ago and even as far-flung as Pretoria in South Africa.

The writer is a Lonely Planet senior commissioning editor and the author of Temple Tales – Secrets and Stories from India’s Sacred Places

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