The Marieammen Prayers.
17th July – 16th August 2009
The prayer to Mother Marieammen is primarily observed by people of South Indian origin (Tamils, Telugu, Malayalam and so forth…) BUT this month of prayer to Mother Marieammen should be observed by all. This article is sent out to make people of all cultures and faiths aware about Mother Marieammen. Jai Ma Marieammen – all glories to you.
Since untold centuries, even long before villages sprang up, the people of South-India have been worshipping the Goddess in Her fierce, Ma Kali-like form of MARIEAMMEN. Mother Marieammen embodies the sacred energies and evolutionary forces of Mother Earth. She is related to the Kundalini fire rising up from the Muladhara Chakra. However, She is infinitely more than just that. Great saints worshiped Her as an integral aspect of ADI PARA SHAKTI, the Mother of the entire cosmic manifestation... For Her truly surrendered devotees, She shatters all their attachments and preconceived notions of reality. If Mother Kali is looked upon as the awakening force of death, Mother Marieammen is related to diseases and fevers, especially to the lethal affliction of feverish clinging to the illusions of an ego-oriented way of life...
The concept of Mother worship has existed since time immemorial. Mother Shakti (her original name is mother SATI), the Divine Mother, is portrayed as cosmic energy in its dynamic form. Being the Mother of the Universe She is ever ready to heed to the call of her devotees. At such as instance did the force manifest as MUTHU MARI AMMEN.
MUTHU – Pearl, MARI – Rain, AMMEN – Mother, thus being titled as the mother of rain.
One of the grandest festivals of the South Africa community, the Marieammen prayer, is observed every year during the Aadi Madham.
In a time of great drought, a time when people were plagued with measles, chicken pox, small pox, mumps, and so forth, they sought help from the Divine Mother. This Mother ever willing to help her children, manifested in the form of a women garbed in a yellow sari, descended on the state of Samayapuram in the district of Thiruvekardu, South India. Here she fed the ill with porridge and nursed them with mixture of Syringa berry leaves and turmeric paste. She continued healing the sick and when her work was done she retired to her abode.
Mother Marieammen is all-powerful and her vehicle is the lion, which we know as her Vaghanam. The lion is all-powerful and changes instantly according to his duty and purpose. Mother is also in control of the soil of the earth, hence her appearance as the Puttru (Puthu). Her presence can be strongly felt not only during the month of Aadi Madham, but throughout the year.
The people who Mother Marieammen had cured sought her and wanted to know the identity of this mysterious MARI AATHAL. They found her seated under a Syringa tree. They asked her to reveal her identity and wanted to know how she could be thanked for saving the lives of so many. She disclosed herself as the Mother of the Universe and asked only that every year in the time that she appeared, her devotees gather in great numbers, and worship the Lord and she promised to be their guiding and protecting force. She then disappeared leaving torrents of rain to bathe the earth and aid the growth of all floras. She then became known as Samayapuram Mariaathal and her scripture is the Marieammen Thalatu.
It is therefore, in this great month of Aadi that Mother Marieammen is venerated as the protector and curer of all miseries. The Gargam symbolizing her crown is carried honouring her as the Queen of the Universe. This prayer is now the thanks giving prayer to Mother Marieammen.
Due the above article on Mother Marieammen many people of Hindi background have requested me to compile information (which is given below) how to perform this very special prayer to our very merciful Mother Marieammen. I am really glad that people of different backgrounds are now praying to our merciful Mother. Please note that the advice given below is subject to change as many perform Ma’s prayers in many different ways and according to their heart’s desire. All Ma wants is your love that’s all and not showing off to others what a nice prayer you did for her. Keep it simple. Now the two most popular ways to pray to Mother Marieammen is to firstly performing a havan and then offer to Ma her special food preparations. You can perform Ma’s prayers at any time of the Aadi Month (17th July – 16th August) and many perform Ma’s prayers on a Saturday due to time, place and circumstance constraints. But my humble suggestion is to perform Ma’s prayers in the bright half of the Aadi month and esp. on a Friday, which is on the 24th or 31st July (which is also Varalakshmi puja day as well.). These are the most auspicious times to perform the Ma’s puja: - 24th July 08h00 – 10h29 or 12h30 - 14h59 or 16h31 - 17h18 31st July 08h00 – 10h29 or 12h30 – 14h59 or 16h31 – 17h22. Its best to visit your local Marieammen temple to perform Ma’s prayers but if this is not possible then it can be performed in your house or outside your house. After having a bath and wearing clean clothes you must arrange for a clean place to perform the havan and then to offer Ma the delicious food preparations that you have so lovingly cooked for her. Please obtain a picture or yantra of Mother Marieammen. Place in front where Ma can be worshipped. When you are standing in front of Mother Marieammen chant: - 1) Om swagatam su swagatam - Om Marieammen-yai namah (Swagatam means O Mother Marieammen I welcome you.) Then offer flower or flower petals. 2) Om idam pushpam – Om Marieammen-yai namah. (Pushpam = flowers) Then offer incense 3)Om tato dhoopam aghraa-payaami – Om Marieammen-yai namah. (Dhoopam =incense) Then offer lamp 4)Om prat-yaksha deepam darshayaami – Om Marieammen-yai namah. (Deepam = lamp) Then offer sweet food/ sweet/ fruits. 5) Om naivedyam samar-payaami – Om Marieammen-yai namah (Naivedyam = food) 6) Offer prayers for forgiveness Om yaani kaani cha paapaani janmaantara kritaanee cha, taani sarvaani vinashyanti pradakshinaa pade pade// Then offer your personal prayers to Mother Marieammen. Ask Ma for whatever you want and Ma being so merciful will grant what you desire. But be careful what you desire for… Now you can start with the havan. In a medium size bowl add about 100 g of sesame (til) seeds; add 50g of vegetable or butter ghee, havan samaghree, and white rice. Mix all these ingredients together. Place wood in the havan kund (which should already have a little sand in it. The reason for this is so that the ghee does not leak out.) Take a little Ganga water and sip it three times chanting “Om Vishnu” Now invite Lord Ganesh. You should already have a small picture or murti of Lord Ganesh. Chant “Om Ganapataye avahayami stapayami.” Offer 3 times in a clockwise direction around the picture/murti of Shree Ganeshji firstly the incense, then a lamp, flower petals and finally a sweet. Thereafter invite Lord Vishnu and the devis and devas to the havan by saying “O Lord Vishnu, Sarva Devis and Devas and Mother Marieammen I ________(your name) invite you all to this auspicious havan. Place camphor on the wood and light it. Now start the offerings by the chanting the following mantras as ff: - Om Ganapataye namah X 3…… swaahaa Om Sarasvatyai namah X 3 Om sooryaaya namah x1 Om somaaya namah x1 Om angaarkaaya namah x1 Om budhaaya namah x1 Om brihaspataye namah x1 Om shukraaya namah x1 Om shanaish-charaaya namah x1 Om raahave namah x1 Om ketave namah x1 Om maha marie char vidmahe ugra marie chadi mahi tanno marie prachodayat X 108 “Om trayam bakkam yajaa-mahe sugan-dhim pushti-vardhanam urvaa-rooka-miva bandha-naam mrityor mooksheeya maamritaat Om” X 3 Offer the samaghree and chant swaahaa. Once this is complete ask Lord Vishnu and all the Devis and Devas for forgiveness for any mistakes that was committed during the havan and chant the Maha Mantra “ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare “ 11 times to allay for any mistakes committed during the havan. Then request Lord Vishnu and the Devis and Devas to kindly return to their spiritual abodes. Requirements for the Havan: - One packet havan wood; 50g ghee; 100g til; havan kund, 100g white rice, 2 blocks of camphor. After the havan is completed you can now offer all the food that you have cooked to Ma. These are the most offered foods to Ma. Of course some will offer more and some less. But these are the suggested foods that you can cook for our beloved Ma = Sour Porridge (see below on how to make sour porridge), mixed vegetable curry, pumpkin curry, and drumstick herbs curry. Of course you will also cook rice, roti or purees to go with the Curries. In a corner place a picture of Ma and on the floor place syringaberry leaves and sprinkle a little hurdi (turmeric/manja) on the syringaberry leaves. Now place all the pots of food that you have cooked. The lids should be removed. Now pray to Mother Marieammen to please bless the food that you have cooked and ask Ma to guide and protect you and your family. After praying to Ma bow on the ground seeking Ma’s blessings. Leave the food for about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes you can take out the food. Before the prashad (blessed food from Ma) is consumed by the family members firstly take out a little of each of the prashad and place on a banana leaf and keep under a syringaberry tree. If you don’t have a syringaberry tree then you can keep it under any tree in your yard. The reason for doing this is that when one is married one promise to take care of the living entities and by offering the offered prashad to the different living entities the Supreme Lord and Mother Marieammen becomes very happy and pleased. How to make sour porridge: - A few days before your actual prayers to Ma obtain a 5L bucket and wash the outside and inside of the bucket with turmeric powder mixed with water. Dot the outside of the bucket with kumgum powder. Now add water in the bucket. Depending how many people you want to feed add mielie meal in the bucket. Cover the bucket with the lid and on the top of the lid place a few syringaberry leaves. Place the bucket near your Lakshmi/Prayer place. If you so desire you can now in front of the bucket light 7 small pieces of camphor and offer a lamp (diya) to Mother Marieammen seeking her Divine blessings to perform Her prayers. On the day of your prayers to Ma in a pot add water and as its half way boiled add the soaked mielie meal. Add salt for taste. Its cooks rather quickly. Many have different ways to prepare sour porridge so this is our humble offering to those who don’t know how to prepare it. If you still confused ask a South Indian person to help you. Thank you for taking time to read this article. We are trying to reach out not only to Hindus but to others of other faiths as well. By compiling and publishing these articles we hope that others will understand what a beautiful and diversified way of life Hinduism (Sanathan Dharma) really is. Please alert your friends and family of this website. You may pass these articles to friends and family who do not have access to the Internet or even print them and keep them in a file. These articles are published so that it will be a reference to you and your family when you need clarification of certain topics. Jai Ma Mari.