About this Sacred Grove

Sathankudi Marakammal Bommayaswami Temple is a revered shrine in Sathankudi village, Thirumangalam Taluk, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu. The temple enshrines the divine pair of Marakammal, the mother goddess who is the source of life and fertility, and Bommayaswami, the guardian deity who is her protector. According to local folklore, many years ago a wooden doll (Bommai) was found floating in the village tank after a heavy flood. A shepherdess who found it had a dream in which a motherly figure told her that she was Marakammal and the doll was her brother Bommayaswami, who had come to settle in Sathankudi to protect the village children and fields from evil eye and diseases. She asked them to install them under the sacred grove near the tank.The villagers installed the wooden figure and a stone idol of the Goddess Marakammal under a large tamarind and neem grove. Miraculously, the outbreaks of smallpox and cattle diseases that were troubling the village subsided. Since then, the grove is worshipped as highly sacred. No branch is cut from it, and women offer cradles and bangles to Marakammal for child welfare, while men offer terracotta horses and turbans to Bommayaswami. It is believed that Marakammal nurtures the village with compassion while Bommayaswami stands guard at the grove entrance, ensuring safety and prosperity for Sathankudi.

Location

Coordinates: 9.8575410, 77.9227660

Plants / Species (2)