Bannari Amman is a temple located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, 75 kilometres away from Erode district and 10 kilometres away from Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. It is the famous temple in the state and is situated at the bottom of the Western Ghats on the way to Mysore. The main deity of the temple is the goddess Mariamman (Goddess of Rain). She is considered to be an avatar of Goddess Parvathi.
As per Tamil and Kannada folklore, goddess Mariamman is considered to be powerful and nearly every region of Tamil Nadu has a temple dedicated to her. She is also considered to be the guardian deity in the hilly areas of Karnataka. Her temple is located amidst a majestic landscape and mesmerising beauty.
Bannari Amman temple is on the Aranaka Hill and is believed to rule the forest around it, and the wild animals that roam in it. Goddess Mariamman, as per Puranas, is a goddess who is capable of changing her form. There is a famous story of a husband and wife who worked in the fields. Under a rock, they used to keep their agricultural tools for safekeeping. At that time, the woman was pregnant. Later, when she was working in the fields, she went into labour and heavy rain poured down. Her husband carried the equipment, built shelter in all four directions and delivered the baby himself. As per the Puranic history, they have two daughters.
When the mother tried to breastfeed her babies, she could not. In fact, once when the mother tried to feed again, blood oozed from her baby. It is important to note that the goddess of Bannari Amman has small scars on her right breast. It is believed that the goddess was born to the couple.
There is also a narrative that the goddess appeared in the couple’s dream and told them to conduct a festival in her honour. On her instructions, a celebration was held and all the villagers went to the southern part of the village and brought green soil.
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