Māri (/mɒrı/, /maari/, Tamil: மாரி), also known as Mariamman ( /mɒrı əˈmʌn/ Tamil: மாரியம்மன்) and Mariaai, both meaning "Mother Mari", spelt also Maariamma (Tamil: மாரியம்மா), or simply Amman or Aatha (Tamil: அம்மன், "mother") is the South Indian Hindu goddess of rain. She is the main South Indian mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu and Thirucherai. Māri is closely associated with the Hindu goddesses Parvati and Durga as well as with her North Indian counterpart Shitaladevi. The goddess Mariamman is considered by many to be the South Indian Incarnation of Goddess Kali. It is said that when Kali went to Southern India as Mariamman, Bhairava followed her as Madurai Veeran. Her festivals are held during the late summer / early autumn season of "Aadi". Throughout the Tamil Nadu and deccan region, grand festival known as "Aadi Thiruvizha" are taken for Maariamman. Her worship mainly focuses on bringing rains and curing diseases like cholera, smallpox, and chicken pox.
She is worshipped in accordance to the local agamas as "Pidari" or the "Grama Devata" usually by non-Brahmin priests or in some cases of big temples like Samayapuram Maariamman temple, also by Brahmin priests. According to shaktha agamas, she is depicted in sitting posture and might be flanked some times by Ganesha and Subramaniya or Ganesha and Naaga on her sides. She is usually taken in procession in a decorated chariot.
