The Worship of Pudavaikariyamman in the Kongu Region – A study

Abstract

Tamils worship various deities seeking prosperity and well-being in their lives. We cannot alter the wonders of nature such as the five elements, the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, rivers, rain, thunder, lightning, and drought. Man, who sought to cultivate the land by clearing forests, feared that the immeasurable natural forces surrounding him would cause harm to himself, his crops, and his livestock. To strengthen his fearful mind and to appease nature so that it would not harm him, he began to worship. In Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Kongu region, the worship of deceased ancestors holds a prominent place in folk religious traditions. This ancestor worship is based on both love and fear. The hero-stone worship mentioned in the Sangam period, although primarily a worship of valor, is also a form of ancestor worship. Among these deity worship practices, we will examine the worship of Pudavaikariyamman, who is celebrated as a family deity in the fertile Kongu region