Arulmigu Mariamman Temple Samayapuram — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

As a great devotee of Amman,this is the first time visit to the temple..I was full of positive vibes and was eager to get dharshan of Amman.But it not went good,when a local vendor said there is a private car parking and can leave your foot wears here.So,we parked the car and left the footwear. On the rack and then suddenly a person appear before us and handed over a bag full of maalai,abishekam things and items,and ammanukku saathurathukku pudavaiyum eduthu thaambulathula vacchu,they asked all of to touch the thaambulam and called to a someone inside the temple saying the head counts of us and he started taking us inside..we all were in shock and don't know what's happening and I came to sense and stopped him and asked what's happening here...he frightened us saying there is long que and you have to wait for several hours and all bla blah.. bhalas convincing us..when I asked the price of the items that he placed in our hands,he billed it for nearly 4000rs.I was in a mixed of emotions of returning and get into free dharshan or have to accept the broker's way...I know what I'm doing is wrong...having small kids with us,I accepted it half mindedly and went inside the side gate.we didn't even enter through the main gate where we didn't worship the kodi maram..we just went in leaded by this broker and he spoke to the archagar there(the dealing)and made us stand by the side to view...with money being looted and the broker called me and said to give the iyer 200rs on his plate...I didn't have time to see or view amman as these people were disturbing me..I barely stood there for 5 mts and there was no deepa aarathana,so that I can see ammn's face atleast as I can't see from that place and as all karuvarai it was dark...I felt like crying that I couldn't view my Amman properly and I kept a kind request to the ayyar standing there to see one deeparathanai and let me go...but he was rude and said that we can't show deeparathanai to everyone who asks..I accept that..but we have given maalai and things for archanai,they should have done deeparathanai once for us...for the whole 15 mts I watched,only once deeparthanai was shown when this broker was dealing with me inside the temple...I was in tears as I couldn't get her view properly...the rude iyer said ,cannot do dheeparathanai,and we allowed you to stand here for few mts when ordinary dharshan people was just moving.I just irked me and with my temper in control ,I said calmly,it's for the money you made us stand....what if you do a deeparathanai,so than with the light,Amman can be visible to all inside the karuvarai...an yet another iyer who was distributing vibuthi said as if he so honest enough,that I shouldn't talk about money inside ambal's place...I too said the same..I didn't talk about the money and all I need is a deeparathanai frequently done so that the devotees can visualise ambal's dharishanam fully...I just humbled myself as these so called archagars didn't speak respectively..I know if I would have placed 500rs in their plates and asked for dheeparathanai,they would have done it for me...they were literally rude and said not to speak about money in front of Amman..I too said the same that we shouldn't speak of money here and need a good dharshan here and that's why we have travelled so long to get her tharishanam.After coming out,I couldn't control my tears and stood before Amman's utchavar..I wasn't satisfied and I was unhappy and was mind wiggling by these brokers in a blink of the eye...so,pls don't get into the hands of brokers,go for free dharshan where atleast you can see her close for a few seconds...beware of brokers.When we came out there was anouncement to be beware of brokers near the front gate...I wish the announcement should be done on other sides of the temple.Beware of these brokers.Im saying this in anguish and frustration of losing money and for not getting a good and a peaceful...

The Star rating is exclusively ment for temple management and outside temple atmosphere.

Once purely a divine place .. even though still divine Mother goddess bless everyone.. but the surroundings are full of commercial and local people try to gain maximum from the pilgrims, so divinely feeling is lost because of outside vendors.

A few minutes after toll, on your entry from NH to the road to temple you have to pay Rs.50.00 as entry & parking fee (as per the person). But it seems that there's no proper parking facilities arranged by the authorities or any board is kept to guide tourists towards parking area. Some vendors will show some ground to park the vehicle for free but you have to buy puja items from them.

Some micro vendors (like selling mango) are not polite and don't expect any respect from them. Uncountable people begging will follow you, it's really disturbing one and also can witness fightings among them....

Chappal stand is little far and it's nearby restrooms and near free Darshan entry and no one to look after it, service yourself, or One has to keep it in the shop where puja items were purchased.

Prices of puja items are costly. If anyone prays to put any organs or parts of the body made up of Silver (it's not at all a Silver) he has fetch Rs.50.00 per item (which is not even cost more than Rs.10 each) from purse.

Beware of unknown agents who will tell you that he will make 'Padi Darshan' (Darshan of divine from foot steps near the sanctum) and bargain money. It's best to buy computerized tickets from the counter for Darshan, if Rush or heavy Queue in General Darshan.

There's a puja items shop owned by the temple, but it is closed during my visit. (Not aware they have shifted or otherwise).

The behaviour of personal who manages the pilgrims is not at all remarkable. They make very loud noise, which disturbs the devotees during chanting.

Executive Officer of the temple has to take to main the discipline and decorum of the temple.

My personal feelings... I haven't feel satisfied having a great Darshan of Mother in this visit.

Darshan timings: Morning to night.

All on the way from Chennai, I traveled with my family to Samayapuram to have Darshan of Mother even though is fulfilled but within me I feel .......😔

COVID19...

Arulmigu Mariamman Temple is an ancient Hindu temple built in the Tamil Architectural style, located in the Samayapuram area of Tiruchirappalli District in Tamil Nadu, India. The main deity, here is the Goddess Mariamman , which is the form of Adi Parashakti and is made up of sand and clay, with extractions of medicinal herbs , in a way which is absolutely different from the traditional stone idols. This is the reason why there is no Abhishek (sacred bathing) conducted to the main deity, but instead the "abishekam" is done to the small stone statue in front of it. Main religious festivals celebrated here are the Chithirai Car Festival, Poo Choridal Festival, Vaikasi Panchaprakaram Festival and the Thai Poosam Festival. The temple attracts thousands of devotees on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, the holy days for Mariamman. It is said that the King Vijayaraya Chakravarti II built the present day temple in the early 18th century. Little information about the past history of the period is available before that however it is believed that the locals worshipped the Goddess for many centuries before the building of the current temple. Mariamman, an incarnation of Maa Parvati, is worshipped mainly with focus on bringing rains and curing diseases like cholera, smallpox, and chicken pox. She is considered as a guardian deity, kaval deivam, by many South Indian villagers. Tiruchirappalli, also known as Trichy, is an important spiritual hub in Southern India and Samayapuram is also known as Kannanur. The temple has a resting hall to accommodate the large number of devotees who stay here for days altogether. A big parking space is available outside the temple. However it was seen by me during my visit on 17th of November, 2024, that generally the temple surroundings, the way to the temple’s entrance , the inside corridors and halls, are all crowded, encroached for commercial purposes , badly maintained, and ill kept. It reflects the bad management by the concerned...