Goddess Mariamman

Goddess Mariamman is revered and worshipped widely across Sri Lanka and South India and in North India as Sheetala Ma. She is believed to have the power to bestow or remove life-threatening ailments like smallpox and chicken pox. Despite Mariamman’s great popularity to this day, the origins of her cult remain obscure.

Renuka Devi, the wife of a great sage fell in love with a celestial being who was young and handsome. Her husband knowing this sent her out of the ashram to live elsewhere. The sage also died and Renuka threw herself on the funeral pyre with her husband. Her clothes were charred and she was burnt in several places.

The rain God doused the fire and the villagers took care of her with new clothes and ornaments to ease her distress. Lord Siva appeared and renamed her Mariamman and declared that she was none other than Parvati, Uma, Parameshwari the Divine Mother.

Renuka has since been known as Mariamman, Sheetala Ma, etc: according to the local tradition. Anyone suffering from burning fever or poxes are immediately given relief by Mariamman in return for the kindness shown to her by the villagers and also because of her great compassion for mankind. Villagers to this day believe and are benefitted by Her munificence