MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In issue 10/ September/October 2006:
Goddess of light dancing with Mother Sea
Priestess of Madapuram Kaliyamman koyil
Goddess of light dancing with Mother Sea
The sunrays are embracing me; you are embracing me, Mother of light! Feeling the fire of life inside me! Powerful and shining! Red like a fireball! The beach also seems to be golden, every grain filled with your energy! Your shining body is dancing on the beach, with every wave!
The shells resembling precious stones, every a different shape, colour, beautifully carved, created by you, Mother Sea! The evergreen palm trees are slightly swaying, the sound of your waves creates a sound of power and peace, deep inner peace and harmony. Mother of the sea! You are in every wave! Running towards the sea! The waves are welcoming me! Enjoying and celebrating life! Surrounded by you, flowing around me and inside me, getting one with you, diving down, feeling the water over me, we are melting completely together! Feeling your immense power! MA, you are always inside, beside and with me! I love you! You are my life!
Priestess of Madapuram Kaliyamman koyil
One day I am walking down a busy small road in Anna Nagar, Madurai. The sun is burning. Cars, cycles, oxen carts, motor bikes are driving up and down. Suddenly, near a big mast Tree, a small Amman (Mother – Goddess) temple appears. On the board big red letters in Tamil script say: “Madapuram Kaliyamman koyil”. Often, I visit a big sacred grove for Pattirakaliyamman situated in Madapuram, a small village, 45 minutes from Madurai by bus. This sacred abode of Amman is one of my favourite places. I like to sit there, feel the Earth under my feet, embracing every single tree, seeing the beautiful smiling face of Pattirakaliyamman’s anthropomorphic representation, Her powerful eyes, glittering red, and celebrating Her sacred immanence (in a future article, I am going to write about this sacred grove). So how did this small temple receive the name Madapuram Kaliyamman temple? I step closer, but the gate is locked. I can see a curtain with a picture of Karumariyamman flattering in front of the garbha griham. So I decide to come back in the evening.
Coming near the temple at 5 o’clock, a beautiful kolam is drawn on the ground. Entering the temple, a lady around 90 years, her hair bound in a bun typical for ladies over 50/60 years in Tamil Nadu, wearing a cotton sari in pastel colours, is waving arati (camphor flame) in front of the anthropomorphic depiction of Kaliyamman. She is depicted wearing a crown with small glittering stones in red, green, blue, silver and gold. With all powerful, big eyes She is looking inside the depth of everybody’s soul, knowing everything. Countless flower garlands in white, pink and yellow, a lemon garland and a colourful sari are adorning Her.
The female devotees, who have come to the temple, touch the flame, put some kunkumam (red powder) and viputi (holy ash) on their foreheads, which they have taken from the camphor flame plate. Some give a small donation to pucari-amma. The priestess is also coming to me. She is gently smiling. From the first moment, I like her.
From this day onwards, now several years ago, I come regularly to the temple. I always feel happy to be in this small temple, sitting there peacefully, meditating with Kaliyamman and visiting pucari-amma. Numerous shops, chatting people, cars, cycles, buses driving up and down surround the small sacred abode, but inside the Amman koyil, it is peaceful and quiet. Mostly, ladies come. Here, they can pray without disturbance to Amman. Many enjoy talking to pucari-amma.
One day, pucari-amma tells me how the temple came into being. Her sons went to Madapuram Pattirakaliyamman koyil and brought some Earth from there and also a triculam. They put the handful soil and the trident exactly on that place where later the small temple was erected. The present idol was brought later. They decided that she has to become the pucari-amma of the Amman koyil. Since 25 years, she comes daily to the temple. She does the alangaram (decoration). From the donations, people give her, she buys the numerous flower garlands. She spends everything for Amman. On Fridays and full moon days, she cooks ponkal for Amman. After offering it to Her, she distributes it on banana leaves to the mainly female devotees. In front of the garbha griham and the temple entrance she draws kolam. Sometimes she gets the help from a girl of the neighbourhood. She does everything with devotion and love for Kaliyamman.
Kaliyamman has helped her in many ways. She narrates two personal experiences:” One day, I was working in the temple, the ceiling and a bell fell on my head. I was brought to the hospital. There was a big wound on my head and the bleeding did not stop. Suddenly, a woman clad in a yellow sari, in her sixties, stood in my room. She was smiling at me. I knew Amman had come to see me. Then I was tired and turned my head to other side because I wanted to sleep. On the next day, the continuous bleeding had completely stopped and I did not have any health problems afterwards. On another occasion, I was walking home from the temple. It was already quite dark. On my way home, there was a power cut and I could not find the way to my house. Suddenly, a woman clad in a red sari, in her sixties, stood beside me. She took my hand and guided me to my house. After I had reached my doorsteps safely, she disappeared. It was Amman who had helped me.”
Pucari-amma’s temple is a place of peace and harmony where ladies can sit, pray and meditate without disturbance. May the Goddess bless pucari-amma with a long life!
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 9/August 2006:
Dancing with the Rain Goddess
A Festival for Pattirakaliyamman and Her sister Mariyamman
Dancing with the Rain Goddess
I see the rain clouds, the face and body of the Goddess in them. The dark blue sky, clouds are moving, a soft breeze- Mariyamman – you are coming. Trees are moving in the wind- slightly – raindrops start to come. I am sitting on my terrace and- suddenly- I start to sing in the rhythm of kummi pattu: Tananananee Tananananee Tananananee Mariyamman, Mariyamman, Muttumariyamman, Mariyamman, nourish Bhumi Devi with your rain! Come Kaliyamman, elder sister of Mariyamman! Mariyamman and Kaliyamman dance, dance together! I enjoy singing and clapping on the roof of my house, dancing with the Rain-Goddess and Her sister. Her raindrops are mingling with the water of the rivulet nearby, forming new circles again and again. Next to the small river, the face of a Plant-Goddess is smiling, Her beautiful crown of leaves, Her big eyes, Her arms dancing with the Wind-Goddess, from one side to the other one, forward, backward – I am gifted to see Her, in all Her beauty, how happy and joyful Her dance is – embracing the Rain and the Wind Goddess!!!
My beloved Goddesses, your sacred immanence is everywhere!!! MA, you are always inside, beside and with me!!! I love you!!!
A Festival for Pattirakaliyamman and Her sister Mariyamman
Early morning – 4 o’clock- walking through the empty streets of Madurai – quiet and calm- only the beautiful voices of some birds, I am heading towards the main road of the part of the city where I live to catch my aato (auto-rickshaw). The otherwise busy area overfull with small and bigger shops selling all different kind of goods, buses sounding one’s horn and filling their air with their fumes, small green/yellow mini buses driving around the corners like on a race course, motorcycles and scooters, auto-rickshaw drivers waiting for passengers. The ladies who normally sit on the roadside with their big baskets full of jasmine and arali pu garlands, may be walking towards the flower market to buy fresh flowers. Reaching my aato, I have to knock several times at the front window to wake up my aato driver who sleeps deeply and tightly on the back seat. At 5 o’clock I want to be at the festival of Pattirakaliyamman and Her sister Mariyamman.
We are driving through the dark lanes of Madurai, listening to the songs of numerous birds, coming out of the city on a small bumpy street toward Palamedu, a village in Madurai District. Passing numerous small settlements, old ladies lurking out of their small huts, ladies fetching water, beautiful palm trees dancing with the wind, rice fields, dense vegetation, we reach Palamedu after one and half hour. From loudspeakers, Amman songs sound in full volume: Mariyamma, Mariyamma. Numerous small paper flags in red, green, yellow, orange and blue move in the rhythm of the music. A big neon light picture of Amman is twinkling.
Coming to the Mariyamman temple, a huge group of ladies has already assembled there. Women of all age groups carry small round silver tins with mavilakku (rice flour lamps) inside, decorated with colourful paper on sticks. In front of the Amman sannadhi (the shrine of Mariyamman), which seems to be totally covered by all the rice flour candles, the ladies pray and waiting until their mavilakku is returned to them.
The Mariyamman koyil is quite a big temple. Everything is rich decorated with banana leaves, the ubiquitous paper flags. Around the garbagriham, light bulbs in all different colours are shining. The small Amman statue made of black stone is adorned with countless flower garlands and a piece of sari is tied around Her sari. The great structure is only a few years old. Before that it must have been an open shrine. Original places of Goddess veneration are open shrines and sacred groves where you can feel Her sacred immanence. Recently, people started to build big temples for their village Goddesses imitating temples belonging to the orthodox tradition.
I am walking toward the temple of Pattirakaliyamman. The small sacred abode is situated in a tiny side lane. Coming inside, one can see a painting of Pattirakaliyamman – Her beautiful green face – like the forest, Her eyes full of power and strength, wearing a fire crown, in Her hands holding a triculam (trident), an udukku ( a hour glass shaped drum), a kapalam ( bowl) with kunkumam(red powder) and an angusam- She smiles at me.
Here- a lot of ladies have already taken their mavilakku candles and are on their way home.
“Amman likes it very much. Therefore we bring mavilakku to Her temple.”, one lady assures.
Next to the temple, near the branches of a neem tree, a small thatched hut has been erected. Two ladies are sitting in front of it, smiling friendly. The lady in the orange/red sari tells me that she is a strong bhakti of Pattirakaliyamman. Because of her devotion, she was selected by the president of the temple committee to perform the task of planting the mulaipari. “ First we put wooden sticks in the pot, then cow and goat dung, afterwards comes Earth on it. Finally, we mix the whole with the seeds. For six days, we pour water. Today is the eighth day. We also perform pucai for the growing Mulaipari. We take samprani, sandalwood incense sticks, wave arati, sprinkle sandal, rose water, cow urine, turmeric water and put flowers. A light has to burn in the room – always.”
Further she emphasizes the importance of Mulaipari: “ If the Mulaipari grows tall, it is beneficial for the whole family, the whole community. Understanding and harmony will increase.”
I take some time to talk with Pattirakaliyamman, sitting beside a neem tree. Her beautiful green face still smiles at me. Her eyes full of powerand strength, invincible and all-powerful. I start to sing my self-composed song for MA Kali – suddenly loud screaming and the sound of drums– a group of devotees , headed by musicians and two ladies in Amman Arul ( Amman Arul means translated grace of the Goddess; it is a personal experience of ladies during village Goddess festivals and in village Goddess temples – experiencing the power of Amman; some would call it possession or trance, but Amman Arul also describes a state of having the Goddess always within and around. During the festival, the power and strength of the Goddess is mostly felt for several minutes – I plan to write an article on Amman Arul where I will talk in more detail). The two women, screaming and heavily breathing, folding their hands over their heads, bending their bodies from one side to the other, forward and backward, stop in front the Amman sannadhi for some time, accompanied by the drum-beats. They move on to a place behind the small thatched hut, near a small shrine of Ganesh. A small group of devotees, clad in yellow, around their neck countless flower garlands in yellow, white and pink, has already assembled there. Akkini catti ( fire mud pots) are prepared for the procession with the final destination Mariyamman koyil.
I am following one of the first processions through some small lanes of Palamedu, everything decorated with the ubiquitous paper flags. Running towards a small shrine of Pattirakaliyamman, circumambulating it, ladies in Amman Arul ,through narrow alleys – a lot of women stand in their entrance door, watch the processions from a distance and pour water on the devotees who carry Akkini catti. In Amman Arul, they bless the spectators through smearing viputi on their foreheads.
Finally, we are reaching the Mariyamman koyil. The participants of the procession are running around the shrine of Mariyamman. At last, the Akkini catti are put at a special place behind the Amman sannadhi.
New processions are entering the temple again and again, ladies in wet yellow saris, their hair lose open, colourful flower garlands in pink, yellow, faces and bodies smeared with kunkumum (red powder), viputi (holy ash) and manjcal (turmeric). I am watching the bright red-orange-yellow flames, taking the form of Amman, the Goddess dancing in and with them. The Goddess is the fire, representing Her powerful, fiery, active energy, the Fire of life, the Fire of knowledge, the Fire of will, the Fire of action. How beautiful She is dancing, Her body moving powerful and wild, yet elegant and flowing, to all directions. The clouds of fumes of the gone out Akkini catti are floating in spirals toward the sky.
In the midst of the countless Akkini catti processions, some people perform other rituals for Amman. Small children are carried in cloth cradles fixed to sugarcanes around the shrine of Mariyamman. Through this ritual, they become the children of Amman and in future, they are protected from all illness and harm. An old lady , a clay image of a cow on her head painted in yellow, black and blue colours, is walking around the Amman sannadhi. Other ladies are carrying small terracotta depictions of legs, hands, figures of babies, figures of women representing themselves. Near the Durkai and Naga shrine, many ladies have already put their votive offerings there. Suddenly- near the Naga shrine- a lady begins to move Her body like a snake – the Akkini catti processions still going on, the sound of the drums, continuously the shouting of Aho!Aiyahoo! ( a special sloka which is only used by a particular community).
Walking outside the temple, I am watching ladies dancing with neem leaves in their hands through the streets and lanes of the village. The temple is crowded with devotees performing their rituals like Akkini catti, Totti pillai, carrying votive offerings, 1000 eye pot, ladies with neem leaves circumambulating the temple, angapradaksinam ( rolling on the floor around the shrine)– all surrounded by the smoke of the gone-out flames. In front of the Amman shrine, a group of ladies have placed a mavilakku on a banana leave and wve it over the body of a woman lying on the ground, praying to the Goddess – a ritual of healing the body of the devotee with the power of Amman ( I am going to write an article about Mavilakku – a healing ritual of Goddess veneration).
At lunch time, I am taking some rest in a small tavern to eat a sappadu (rice mixed with sambar, as side dish vegetables ). The processions are still going on. After finishing my meal, I sit down under the shade of a beautiful Neem Tree –Goddess, in front of the Mariyamman temple. Amman lives in the Neem Tree. She is this beautiful Neem Tree. The loudspeaker boxes are playing Amman songs in full volume : Mariyamman, Mariyamman, Kaliyamman, Kaliatta, Mariatta, Pattirakali, Nallapambu, Nallapambu (cobra). I am singing along with the songs and enjoy sitting under the Neem Tree giving me power, peace and happiness. Many devotees carrying offerings for the Goddess - baskets filled and plates full with coconuts, bananas, betelnut leaves, camphor, kunkumum, incense sticks, flower garlands – are entering the temple. Beside the sacred abode of Mariyamman, ladies still prepare ponkal for Amman.
Already, 3.30 p.m. In the morning, I was informed that a paal kutam procession will take at 4 o’clock. I am walking toward Pattirakaliyamman koyil. The Mulaipari ladies are sitting in the shade. Inside the hut, to my greatest surprise, young men are tying turmeric threads around the mulaipari which is otherwise only done by ladies. They laugh and make jokes, without having much respect for the ritual for Amman. I am asking one of the ladies for clarification. She tells me that they are tired so these boys are doing it. I am insisting that there are many other ladies who could perform this task with love and respect for Amman. I get an evasive answer that all women are asleep or tired and cannot do it. Further, we talk about the pouring of turmeric water at the end of the festival and their opinion about it. A lady assures that she will not participate. She does not like the way how some males will sprinkle the water in an aggressive way. “ I am an elderly lady and shall accept that some young guys are pouring water on me in a disrespectful way ? No, I won’t go. It is not necessary at all.” “ The paal kutam procession will take place very soon. If you take paal kutam, you won’t get Ammai (chickenpox), diarrhea and other diseases. The pot is only filled with half milk, because of Amman Arul it becomes full and flows over. If the milk overflows, our family will receive bliss and happiness.” “You would like to see the paal kutam procession? Then come, it is going to start in a few minutes.” A devotee whom I met in the morning with a female relative, I guess, is showing me the place where the paal kutam (a pot filled with milk and a coconut decorated with small piece of yellow cloth). But before we are reaching this place, I am invited to meet and greet his female relatives, wife and friends, who are talking about the big Mulaipari procession today. “They will sing kummi pattu and dance kummi. Do you know? A group of ladies will wear all blue saris.” After I have drunk a cup of tea, we are walking toward a place near the milk farm. From far away, one can hear the deafening sound of the crackers. I put some paper into my ears. Guys smeared with silver colour are throwing them in frenzy. Others are jumping around, howling, shouting, whistling, and moving their bodies quite awkwardly. The procession is starting. An old man is heading the group, followed by ladies and men accompanied by the sound of the crackers. Many ladies start to dance in Amman Arul with the pot on their heads. We are passing the milk farm which is named after Pattirakaliyamman. Finally, we are reaching the temple of Pattirakaliyamman. All are placing their paal kutam in front of the Amman sannadhi. A pulling and pushing starts, everybody wants to see the paal apisekam for Amman. Milk is poured over a big triculam, the first rows are occupied mostly by males, ladies can hardly get a glimpse. The pucari is pouring litres and litres of milk over the triculam accompanied by the rhythm of the mechanic drum fixed at the corner of the ceiling (nowadays, such a mechanic drum is commonly used when an apisekam is being held). But what happened at the Mariyamman temple ? After the lost drop of milk has been poured, I am rushing toward the Mariyamman koyil. There, the apisekam seems to be nearly over. I can see a lot of ladies carrying their empty pots.
Again, I make a stop at the small inn where I already have eaten my lunch. I finish my meal consisting of idli (steamed rice flour cakes) with sambar and walk to the Pattirakaliyamman koyil. At 8 o’clock, a first procession of Mulaipari will take place. The Mulaipari ladies are already quite excited. Many women have already come to the temple. Full of joy and happiness, holding checked towels in their hands, they are waiting for the first Mulaipari procession to begin. The ceremony starts, the first lady of the procession is catching Her Mulaipari. Others ladies are following Her. A woman holding a triculam in Her hand takes part. She represents Mariyamman. Through the small lane, adjacent to the shrine of Pattirakaliyamman, women of all age groups, with their Mulaipari on their heads, are walking toward a central place of the village. The never-tired musicians accompany the procession with their rhythmic drum beats. The lush green Mulaipari are shining in the street lighting. Reaching a small place, where the potters have kept their votive figurines and akkini catti all day long, the ladies are told to put the biggest Mulaipari there. The president of the temple committee and the pucari perform a pucai. I wonder why the ladies who planted the Mulaipari are not requested to wave the camphor flame in front of the Mulaipari. Simultaneously, one can see the numerous lights of people who carry 21 small akkini catti. Afterwards, the first procession continues through the small alleys of Palamedu.
At seven o’clock, I start with my aato. I reach Palamedu at 8.30. Everything is still closed and quiet. I am walking toward the Mariyamman temple. Nobody is there except the pucari and two other guys who distribute viputi. The Amman sannadhi is still closed. (Later I am told that those guys are pucaris belonging to some orthodox temple in Madurai. One can feel that they do not have much respect for the village Goddess tradition but as a sad matter of fact, as village Goddess temples are growing in structure, people of the particular temple committee think it is necessary to invite priests from orthodox temples. Fortunately, at this temple, their participation is reduced to a minimum; therefore women still have active roles in the festivals and can perform their rituals.) The Mulaipari have been place in front of the shrine of Mariyamman and wait for the procession taking place. As it seems that I still have time, I make a short visit to the small tavern and eat some idli. Afterwards, I am walking to the Pattirakaliyamman koyil. Two pucaris are preparing venponkal ( this type of ponkal, a rice meal, is not sweet in taste) for Pattirakaliyamman. Later, two ladies join in and continue the preparation. Many Mulaipari have been put in front of the Amman sannadhi, the green of the leaves is shimmering in the morning light. I sit near my neem tree and sing my self-composed song for Bhadrakali. At 9.30, 10 o;clock, a very old lady is coming, dressed up in a white sari. It is hard for her to walk and stand but still, she has come to see the grown Mulaipari – the planting of Mulaipari – a task she performed for many years. She enjoys high respect and the pucaris feel honoured while receiving viputi from her hands. I am invited to sit for some time beside her. She tells that the painting of Pattirakaliyamman was already there when she was a small child. “ Pattirakaliyamman is here. Pattirakaliyamman comes to me. Pattirakaliyamman comes when you call Her.”
I am introduced to another lady, standing near the Amman sannadhi. She is wearing a yellow sari. I am told that she belongs to the potter community who is responsible for making the Mualipari and Akkini catti pots. Further, she explains that she is a kuri. (She gets possessed by Mariyamman and in that state answers the questions of people concerning their fortune. There are different ways of telling kuri. I shall talk about it in a future article.)
Ladies are arriving at the temple, one after the other, waiting full of anticipation for the procession. A man who gets possessed by Karuppusami, is also participating. His body is smeared with kunkuman and she wears a white turban and a vetti , a white cloth tied around the waist (in this temple, Karuppusami is said to be the brother of Pattirakaliyamman. He functions as a guardian.) The musicians start to play their drums. One of the Mulaipari ladies is holding a big triculam. She represents Pattirakaliyamman. ( She is also one of the ladies who were responsible for the Mulaipari planting.) She is the head of the procession, followed by a pucari who carries the Sakti karakam, afterwards all women place their checked towels on their heads, then the Mulaipari pots. The procession is starting. We are walking through a small lane. A guy with a plate of cut lime pieces smeared with kunkuman for distracting the evil eye is also participating. Headed by the lady representing Pattirakaliyamman , followed by the pucari who is carrying a Sakti karakam and then the huge crowd of ladies having the tall grown Mulaipari on their head, we are running toward the Mariyamman temple. The concreted road is already hot like coals, heated by the sunlight. Nevertheless, I am walking barefoot. The man possessed by Karuppusami is running around the whole procession to guard against the evil eye. A pucari is strewing deliberately viputi in all directions.
Reaching the Mariyamman temple, many women are already waiting the join the procession. The lady who represents Mariyamman, I have seen her already yesterday at the first procession, is walking now side by side beside the other woman, both firmly holding their triculam in their hands and full of power and pride heading the procession. Two other pucaris with a Sakti karakam on their head are coming to the procession chain. It is wonderful and beautiful to see the large number of women carrying the Mulaipari, full of joy and happiness. Walking for several minutes, we are coming to an area rich in nature, beautiful, tall Banyan trees, the leaves rustling and the aerial roots moved by the wind. At last, we are reaching the final destination, a huge place surrounded by a field and numerous palm trees and a large Banyan tree. In the midst of the earthen ground, the Mulaipari are placed under a palanquin. Next to them, the ladies who represent Pattirakaliyamman and Mariyamman, one lady who planted the Mulaipari, the kuri and the pucaris have taken their seats. I am waiting for the women starting with kummi and kummi pattu. But- to my greatest astonishment- a few men are performing their clumsy version of kummi – a women’s dance – in a very awkward way. Fortunately, their short interference stops after a few minutes. The large group of ladies is forming an enormous circle and starts to dance a beautiful kummi, clapping and singing Tananana Tananana Tanananananee. Women of all age groups participate. In the midst of their circle, small girls are forming another round, dancing and clapping. I enjoy watching this beautiful dance performance. After several minutes, the performance stops and the Muaipari are taken to the nearby well and thrown nto it- to my surprise without removing the pots and the plastic and paper decoration – as it is done in several other festivals. One can see the earthen pots crashing against the walls of the well and the plants floating on the water. A lady tells me that this part of the village, the field, the central place, the trees, the surrounding nature is dedicated to Pattirakaliyamman and Mariyamman.
The last pot is falling into the water – the Amman festival is over – for this year – but surely, especially ladies are looking forward to the next year – celebrating Pattirakaliyamman and Her sister Mariyamman with their rituals, singing and dancing.
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 8/ June/July 2006:
To the Moon-Goddess - a poem for the Goddess
Hibiscus and neem tree - healing plants of the Mother-Goddess
To the Moon–Goddess
Full moon – full of power-your aura forming concentric circles. Clouds moved by the wind, in front of you, behind you, are dancing with you. Thousands and thousands of twinkling stars, decorating the dress of the Night Goddess are surrounding you.
With your orange-red- silver rays - you are embracing your sisters - uniting with the power of Mother Earth and Nature, blooming flowers, trees opening their crowns to the sky, healing herbs, plants - you are moving with the ocean and the rivers, touching the lakes!
You are embracing, moving and touching me. From the depth of the uterus- I feel the raising power - the raising snake wandering through a flower garden, swimming through the ocean of eternity – touched by your soft light – awakening, enlightening - eternal joy and bliss - dancing in your shine, celebrating my body, mind and soul. Oneness with you, oneness with your sisters, with the stars, with the night sky, with the elements, with Mother Earth and Nature, with the blooming flowers, with the trees, with the plants, with the healing herbs, oneness with the sacred immanent Mother-Goddesses, all our energies uniting, oneness with you, MA, always inside, beside and around me, I love you!
Hibiscus and Neem tree - healing plants of the Mother-Goddess
Introduction
The Mother-Goddesses of India and indeed, all over the world and their sacred immanence in Earth, Nature, Vegetation, Plants, Trees and Rivers were and are still celebrated in India and indeed, all over the world. A seal of Harappa shows a female figure with a plant issuing out of Her womb, the Earth –Goddess as creatrix. Tree –Goddesses were and are an integral part of folk beliefs. Several plants and trees are especially sacred to the Mother-Goddesses and possess highly curative powers. Indeed, all healing herbs are gifts of Mother Earth.
Today I would like to talk about two special plants of the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess – Hibiscus – the flower of MA Kali and the abode of Mariyamman – the neem tree.
Hibiscus – MA Kali´s sacred flower
Visiting one of the numerous Kali temples in Kolkata, one will discover several small wooden stalls in front of them selling Hibiscus flower garlands – Hibiscus – the sacred flower of MA Kali. Her anthropomorphic images in Her numerous temples, in small road side shrines, Her small terracotta figurines under trees, Her calendar art pictures in buses are adorned with numerous Hibiscus flower garlands. In temples, after puja, they are given as prasad to the devotees.
The form of the Hibiscus resembling the female womb symbolises the womb of MA Kali – the womb of the great creatrix. One of Her hundred names is garbha. The colour of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis – red - is the colour of the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess, the colour of life. Hibiscus has not only symbolic significance representing the womb of the great creatrix where all live comes from and returns to - this flower has valuable medicinal properties - especially concerning women’s health.
Amman is living in the neem tree
All over Tamil Nadu, the neem tree is considered as the sacred abode of Mariyamman. Actually, She is the neem tree. Mariyamman is venerated as a Goddess who heals diseases, especially chickenpox.
But also other Village Goddesses are connected with the neem tree. In a small village in Thanjavur District, Veepilai Kaliyamman is venerated as a pot filled with neem leaves. In nearly every Village Goddess temple, one can find a neem tree – often adorned with a yellow or red piece of cloth and smeared with kunkuman ( red powder) and manjcal (Tamil, turmeric).
In village Goddess festivals, women dance in Amman Arul (grace of the Goddess) holding neem leaves in their hands. Under the Akkini catti, neem leaves are placed. Small girls and women accompanying Mulaipari processions are carrying pots filled with neem leaves. During Kummi pattu, women place a small pot filled with neem leaves on the ground and dance and sing around it. Mariyamman is especially venerated as Goddess who can heal diseases especially chickenpox.
Healing power- Hibiscus and Neem tree
Hibiscus and neem tree possess highly curative powers. I will mention some of their most important uses because later, I would like to emphasise especially one factor.
Hibiscus is useful in treating heart attacks and heart failure. Further, it helps in different of vaginal diseases. Taking Hibiscus flowers is also beneficial for women who suffer from menstruation problems.
Neem tree is indeed an all purpose medicine. All parts of the tree possess medicinal values.
Skin disorders: the leaves are especially beneficial in treating skin disorders like chickenpox, boils, glandular swelling and wounds, to relieve flatulence, to promote the removal of catarrh matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes.
Eye diseases like conjunctivitis and ear ailments are also treated successfully with neem. Cleaning the teeth regularly with a neem twig prevents gum diseases. It firms up loose teeth, relieves toothache, evacuates the bad odour and protects the mouth from various infections.
The bark is a bitter tonic and stimulant. It arrests secretions and bleeding besides counteracting spasmodic disorders.
A decoction of the fresh leaves helps in treating malaria. Irodin A, an active ingredient in neem leaves, is toxic to resistant strains of malaria (Bakhru, 2004: 128-130)
Reports by the National Institutes of Health state that neem extracts killed the AIDS virus and patents have been awarded for these extracts as an AIDS treatment. Polysaccharides and limonoids found in neem bark, leaves and seed oil reduced tumors and cancers with no side effects (http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/neem.htm).
Neem is also a powerful insecticide to kill plant parasites – a natural pesticide and is useful as a mosquito repellent. Neem is also said to aid longevity, guard against heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis. Besides, Neem has ingredients which lower cholesterol and clear arteries of fat. Neem oil has been used for antimalarial, febrifuge, antihelminthic, vermifuge, and antiseptic and antimicrobial purposes, for bronchitis control, and as a healing agent for various skin disorders (www.the-south-asian.com/Sep2004/neem_tree.htm).
If one continues to chew fresh neem leaves in November/ December for 48 days, in future snakebites will not harm.
To build body's immune system:
Chew 8-10 neem leaves early in the morning for 24 days. This protects body from diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Skin problems are also helped (http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/neem.htm).
We have seen that Hibiscus and neem tree have highly curative powers but I would like to emphasise one special point today – they are highly effective in birth control.
Hibiscus and neem tree – controlling population growth
Overpopulation is a big problem in India and in other parts of the world as well. The exploitation of land, water and mineral resources is threatening forests, nature reserves, and general ecology. Pollution and unsanitary living conditions in numerous slums and accessibility to food and water, especially drinking water is another big issue. Reports indicate that much of the burden of collecting water is placed on women who often walk for miles a day to fill a pot or two of water. It is evident that with projected population growth rates, it is unlikely that everyone will have access to a reasonable amount of water every day. The same would be true of other precious resources like land, energy and scarce mineral resources.
One of the reasons for continuing population growth is the social pressure of having more and more children – especially male children. Women are reduced to childbearing machines. To counteract those trends and to achieve a disease free world, it is essential to create a new consciousness and to control population growth. Sophisticated methods of allopathic medicine like sterilisation, spirals, other chemical contraceptives are quite expensive and additionally, have many side effects, which threaten especially the health of women. They already suffer from malnutrition and other serious problems due to double responsibilities, family and hard work, e.g. farms. The W.H.O. has put great attention on the search for a safe, cheap and socially acceptable form of contraception.
How can Hibiscus and Neem tree help effectively to work against overpopulation? The sacred plants of the Mother-Goddess show the way.
Much modern research has proved that the flowers to have a post-coital anti-fertility activity. Only the flowers showed significant activity. This anti-fertility action was maximum during winter followed by spring then rainy and minimum in summer season. The presence of potent anti-estrogenic activity in the flower portion may be the responsible factor in terminating pregnancy (www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?id=1207&action=print).
Neem oil (azadirachta indica) has been found to be a very powerful spermicide - able to kill sperm within 30 seconds of contact. Neem tree oil is non-irritating and easy to use while being almost 100 percent effective. It appears to be the most effective form of neem for birth control. A single injection of a minute amount of neem oil in the uterine horns, produces a strong cell-mediated, long term (up to 12 months) immune response and reversible block in fertility. It does not induce any changes in menstrual cycles or ovarian function. Neem oil has also been found to prevent implantation. It can, therefore, also be used as an emergency contraception (http://remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=14396). Used as a vaginal lubricant, neem oil was up to 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy (http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/neem.htm).
Hibiscus and Neem tree offer the potential of a safe and acceptable aid in the drive to controlling population growth without side- effects. They are easily available and affordable for all people, especially for women in rural areas. They give women the power of decision if they want to have children or not and control over their bodies. It is a future task to make people, especially women realise that they can be used effectively in birth control. Hibiscus and neem tree are the solution against overpopulation.
But are people thankful for the healing herbs of Mother Earth and Nature? Do they respect and love Them? Are they aware of the enormous benefits of those healing gifts?
Present attitudes and behaviour
At numerous Kali temples at Kolkata, at the end of the day, hibiscus flowers are dumped outside the temple – like useless waste. People prefer to eat the sweets as prasadam. Hibiscus flowers are not touched. A similar situation at village Goddess festivals in Tamil Nadu – numerous neem leaves are plucked and used in rituals. After the performance is over, they are thrown away and treated as garbage. Big lorries are collecting them. To let the temple car pass, branches of the neem tree are cut down harshly, thrown to the ground – like useless litter. Neem trees on streets are used as advertisement boards. Neem trees, even in sacred groves of the Mother-Goddess are cut down and not replaced by the temple authority. Healing herbs growing along the roadside are suffocated with litter, plastic cups and bags, dust, etc.
Respect and love for the healing gifts of Mother Earth
It is an essential task to make people re-realise the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess and to create awareness toward the healing gifts of Mother Earth and Nature – Their healing herbs. Their natural, spiritual powers heal the whole person and restore and maintain health on a holistic level.
Respect, honour and love the sacred immanent Mother-Goddesses living in the Earth, in Nature, in Plants, Trees, Healing Herbs and Rivers!!
Selected Bibliography:
H.K. Bakhru, Herbs that heal, Natural remedies for good health 2004, Orient paperbacks, New Delhi.
http://remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=14396
Lilot, Loetitia S., The Neem tree – the village Pharmacy in: Ethnobotanical leaflets, www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/neem.htm
Hoffmann, David L., Fertility and contraception in:
www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?id=1207&action=print
Kumar, Ramana, India and a One-Child-Policy, South Asian Voice, http://india_resource.tripod.com/one-child-policy.html
S.K. Soni, Neem Tree- the village Pharmacy goes global, in: www.the-south-asian.com/Sep2004/neem_tree.htm
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 7 April/May 2006 :
Poem: Every night and day is a celebration of you , MA
A Sacred Grove to the Mother-Goddess
Every single day is a spiritual experience, experiencing the energy and the power of the Goddess, Her sacred immanence!
Sitting on the Earth, feeling Her immense power , is a celebration of you, MA !
Seeing a tree , a wonderful Tree-Goddess, the roots intertwined with the womb of Mother Earth, emerging from Her, embracing the Earth and the Sky, is a celebration of you, MA !
Softly touching the leaf of a plant, admiring Her shape - expression of the creativity of Mother Earth and Nature – is a celebration of you , MA !
Walking through the forest, listening to the wind - moving the branches of the trees, hearing their voices, enjoying the wild nature, is a celebration of you , MA !
Running through a meadow, seeing all different kind of beautiful flowers, smelling their fragrance, admiring their beautiful colours, is a celebration of you, MA !
Dancing in the rain, feeling the nourishing energy, is a celebration of you, MA !
Swimming in a lake, forming circles and new circles, diving into the water, feeling the refreshing energy, is a celebration of you, MA !
Getting one with the ocean, moved by the waves, new and new formations, is a celebration of you, MA !
Watching a flame, dancing with the air, is a celebration of you, MA !
Enjoying the sunrise- orange, red, pink becoming blurred- and the sunset – a red fireball getting one with the waves of the ocean, is celebration of you, MA !
Getting touched by the orange silver red full moon - veiling everything into a soft shining light, is a celebration of you, MA !
Listening to the singing of birds, dancing with the always-moving butterflies - touching the Earth and flying through the Sky, is a celebration of you, MA !
Honouring a snake, Her wisdom, representing the never-ending circle of life, is a celebration of you, MA !
Giving respect to every living-being, is a celebration of you, MA!
Every day, every night, every sunrise, every sunset, every dawn, is a celebration of you, MA !
You are always inside, beside and with me ! MA, I love you!
A Sacred Grove to the Mother-Goddess
Once I got to know about a sacred grove of Amman situated in a small village called Kudladampatti. One day I decide to visit this place. All over Tamil Nadu- still – the Mother-Goddess is venerated in sacred groves – there - Her sacred immanence is celebrated in every plant, tree, in springs, rivers, lakes.
At about lunchtime, I reach Kudladampatti. It is a small village enclosed by nature. In the middle of the hamlet, a temple for Muttalamman (Pearl-Mother) has been erected. A festival will take place in the last week of Vaikasi ( May/June). Because of the hot sun, one cannot see many people outside their houses. The village seems to be uninhabited. Some ladies ,carrying twigs on their heads and some shepherdesses accompanied by their cows are coming down small lanes. I ask one of the women where I can find the temple to Tatakai Amman. “Go straight out of the village. It comes after some time”.
Walking through beautiful nature, lush green rice fields surrounded by my beloved palm trees, numerous wonderful banana plants, flowers in different colours and shapes, butterflies - after a while, I reach a place with several anthills - sacred places of the snakes. Making my way through a small lane intertwined with shrubs , I come to an anthill to which a tamarind tree gives shade. Placing kunkumam ( red powder) and manjcal ( turmeric) there, I sit there for a while, meditating – celebrating the holy snakes, the small plant emerging form the anthill – the life-giving Earth-Goddess, the Tree-Goddesses.
Snakes are accompanying me on my way to the sacred grove – everywhere their symbols- I can see them walking beside me, beautiful cobras, beautiful Snake –goddesses !
The hills are coming closer and closer, I feel the sacred immanence of the Goddess - everywhere !. The hills are Her body, Her head, Her legs, Her navel, Her yoni, Her breasts. Valleys, trees and plants shaping the form of the yoni, the womb of the Earth –Goddess. My way leads me on, wild herbs along the path – healing body, mind and soul- healing power of Mother Earth and Nature ! Surrounded by beautiful Nature, talking to the wind and to the trees, listening to the songs of the birds, watching the butterflies – I come nearer and nearer to the hills. After some time, a small shop- better a table with things like soap, biscuits, lemonades, etc appears- somewhere in the landscape. I ask the shop keeper about the amman koyil kaadu. “It is up in the hills!” – he is pointing towards a small path leading into the forest.
The way itself has the form of snake, winding herself through dense forest. Stones in red, yellow, green, black, white – the different colours painting spirals, wavy lines, triangles, rues. The roots of the trees form the shape of the holy yoni. Numerous plants, herbs, creepers, the colour of the Earth is red - the colour of life, the colour of the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess. The way gets steeper and steeper, I come more deeply and deeply into the woods. MA Kali, always beside, inside and with me, takes my hand and helps me to climb over the stones, to reach the sacred grove. Then - I get to a circle of stones – and behind some other big ones – there – the wonderful sacred grove of the Mother Goddess. Full of joy and happiness ringing the bells –I am here – in this beautiful place ! Surrounded by stones and plants, terracotta images of the Mother-Goddess and of the Sapta Kannis- the seven virgins – Her friends and of Their guardians- are placed near Trees. Some of them are already broken and dissolving themselves into Mother Earth – representing the never-ending circle of life, the cyclic powers of Mother Nature . Every year – during a festival on the last Friday in Pradosi ( September/October) - a festival takes place where a new statue will be made.
The wind slightly moves the branches of the trees, I hear the splashing of a fountain nearby, innumerable birds singing different melodies. I sit down in the middle of the grove – meditating with the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess- feeling Her flowing energy around and inside me ! At the same time, I feel peace, happiness, energy – being one with the Earth and Nature, with the elements. The water of the small fountain nearby refreshes my body, mind and soul. Hills, dense forest, wild nature, healing herbs – I enjoy celebrating the sacred immanent Mother–Goddess in this place full of energy, peace and beauty!
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 6/ March 2006:
Poem - MA, you are the world !
Mulaipari - a South Indian women's ritual
The whole world is a Goddess temple, MA, you are the whole world !
The green leaves dived in shining sunlight, swaying branches of palm trees glittering in silver orange moonlight!
The moon surrounded by a circle of yellow, orange , red and silver, the light of the sun !
Colourful butterflies on the Earth and in the Sky, always moving like your life-energy, in every breathing entity!
Beautiful flowers, different shapes and forms, smelling fragrance, blossoming and enchanting !
Trees mirroring in the water, the images of the trees, the trees and the lake become one, the light of the moon and the sun around them, falling of rain - drawing circles in the sea, eternal circles, never-ending circle of life, a spider net between the branches of a tree , a spider weaving a net, the net of life, your creation and your sacred immanence!
MA, I feel you everywhere!
MA, you are always inside, beside and around me ! I love you !
MULAIPARI
A SOUTH INDIAN WOMEN´S RITUAL
INTRODUCTION
Village Goddesses are worshipped all over India. In Tamil Nadu, every village has at least one temple, shrine or sacred grove dedicated to Amman (Mother-Goddess). She is considered as the Mother of a village. Often it is believed that She lived there even before the settlement came into existence. Sometimes She is depicted as a stone or a head indicating that Her body represents the particular hamlet. Village Goddesses have thousands of different names and appear in diverse local manifestations. In Tamil Nadu, many sacred abodes are dedicated to Mariyamman. Kaliyamman (sometimes referred to as Her elder sister) is also a popular deity. Every year, from April until October onwards, Their countless festivals take place.
In village Goddess festivals, women still have their space of active participation. A ritual called mulaipari deserves special mention. As an essential part of every Amman thiruvizha (village Goddess festival) in agricultural regions of Tamil Nadu, mainly, women and girls of all age groups perform it. In often huge processions leading to a river, lake or tank, they carry earthen pots with sprouted grains on their heads.
Performing Mulaipari
On the day of the flag-hoisting ceremony, nine seeds of nine different cereals (navathanyam) are sown in an earthen pot. In most cases, a lady after menopause is selected to perform this task. She puts some Earth mixed with cow dung into the pots and plants the nine seeds. According to a female informant, another variant is to fill the mixture of Earth from an anthill (puttuman), from a riverbank and the nine seeds into the pots.
Afterwards, kunkumam (vermilion), viputi (sacred ash) and santhanam (sandalwood) are smeared on them. One lady assured me that it is common to cut lemons into pieces, apply kunkumam on them and to place them in all four directions in order to ward off the evil eye (thishti). In some cases, the pucari or the female performer of the sowing does a pucai. She is often a strong bhakti of the particular Amman. In other cases, ritual specialists do this work. At one festival, I met a woman travelling from one celebration to another. She is responsible or supervising the planting and growing and additionally, she is well versed in kummi pattu. For her service, the temple authorities pay her. According to an informant, sometimes, the pucari of the temple has a vision who shall plant the seeds. Only the above described lady or ladies are allowed to water the plants on the following eight days. The room for mulaipari is situated in a selected house near the temple, in some cases, the house of the pucari. While the nine seeds are growing, women assemble near the temple every day. The whole night, they perform kummi (a dance accompanied with clapping) and sing kummi pattu (a special song belonging to the dance performance).
Finally, either in the early morning or at night, the procession takes place. All ladies who made a vow to carry mulaipari, meet in front of the temple. Every participant catches her pot and places it in front of the Amman koyil (village Goddess temple). Then, all women perform kummi and kummi pattu. After a pucai, the procession starts. In most cases, the leader is the pucari carrying a Shakti karakam ( a pot representing the Goddess) on his head. On the way to the final destination, a river, lake or tank, several stops in front of other temples are included. There again, ladies perform kummi and kummi pattu. Before the immersion, a last kummi takes place. Finally, mostly, males immerse the content of mulaipari into water.
Symbolic significance
Asking for the meaning of mulaipari many ladies replied that this ritual performance is a vendudal (a vow). “If the nine seeds grow tall, it is good for the well being of the whole family.” Other common answers were that it is good and Amman likes it. Is this really the original meaning?
When first seeing mulaipari, I was reminded of a verse in the Markandeya Purana where the Goddess says: “I shall support the whole world with the life sustaining vegetables which shall grow out of my own body during a period of heavy rain. I shall gain fame on earth then as Sakambhari (Bhattacharya, 1999: 19).
When looking at the symbolism, I thought that mulaipari is a fertility ritual to request Mother Earth for a rich harvest and plenty of rain. All village Goddesses are connected with Earth and the cycles of Nature. Actually, they are sacred immanent in Earth, rivers, Nature. Briffault states that women and Earth are inseparable from each other. Women had been the tillers of the Earth and were regarded as the depositaries of agricultural magic (Briffault, 1952: 117)
A woman in Madurai-District emphasised:“ Ambal likes the smell of cereals. That is why we do mulaipari. In villages, people plough the land. For that we give Her and ask [for cereals]. At other festivals, ladies talked about the nine seeds. “There are nine grains and there are nine powers of Shakti. Every of the nine plants is a Goddess.”
There is a striking similarity between mulaipari and certain rituals in West Bengal. Bhattacharya describes a ritual for the Vegetation Goddess Itu. Exclusively Bengali women worship Her on the Sundays of the month of agrahayana. In an earthen pot, rice, pulses and barley are sown and tended for a month. Several other plants are also allowed to sprout in the pot. Four small vessels (ghatas) filled with water, which represent the female womb, are placed on the pot. On the last Sunday, these pots are carried to a river or tank by the women and thrown into the water (Bhattacharya, 1999: 43). Concerning the nine grains representing nine different Goddesses, the navapatrika (part of the Durga puja) consists also of nine plants representing nine different Goddesses (Bhattachraya, 1999:43).
Another important fact I was told is that all women, unmarried, married, widowed, divorced perform mulaipari. Girls participate and carry (smaller) pots.
Conclusion
Mulaipari, a female ritual and symbol of the sacred immanent Mother-Goddess is of great significance for the whole village community. All ladies despite of age and marital status participate. In my opinion, this ritual is reminiscent of a period and social order where women played important roles in agriculture and society in general.
In my opinion, mulaipari is an inspiration for women to re-realise the sacred immanence of the Mother-Goddess, their own Shakti and their importance of active participation and contribution for the development of the society. It is essential that women understand them as active decision-makers who deserve respect and can achieve a world where it is worth to live in.
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 5/ January / February 2006:
Meditation on a hibiscus flower
Vadakkuvaaselvi Amman - a village Goddess in Tamil Nadu
Dear readers !
I wish all of you a Happy New Year and all the blessings of the Goddess! Realise Her sacred immanence everywhere, in Earth, Sky, the five elements, trees, rivers, Her animals and celebrate Her with singing and dancing! World Goddess- World Peace– World Sisterhood!
As I sold one of my paintings, I will travel to a small village in the tsunami-affected area and donate 20 percent of the profit to a women self-help group. Therefore, this issue comes out for the months January and February.
The first article in 2006 will be about a sacred grove of the Mother-Goddess in Tamil Nadu. It is a special, at the same time calm and powerful place to sit, meditate and to realise the sacred immanence of the Mother-Goddess! This year, I will include more articles of personal experiences. Enjoy the world of the Goddess, enjoy reading Journal MA!
Meditation on a hibiscus flower
Once - I take time to think about the inherent wisdom of the hibiscus. In tropical countries, it is a big bush with dark green leaves and beautiful, bright red flowers. The edge of the flower takes the form of a wavy line. Taking a closer look at the petals, they seem to appear like blood veins; wavy lines like the moving power of the Goddess through all the elements; blood veins symbolising Her life-energy, the whole flower resembling the womb, the womb of the Goddess, creation of all life. Every day, flowers fall down, stop to blossom, but an even more beautiful flower blossoms at another place, the never-ending circle of life, of Mother Earth. Enjoy and look forward to every new day, becoming always brighter and happier! Enjoy every new year, enjoy singing, laughing and dancing! Enjoy a sunset! Enjoy the sunrise! Enjoy the singing of the birds! Enjoy a waterfall! Enjoy the beauty of Nature! Enjoy and celebrate the world of the Goddess!
Vadakkuvaaselvi Amman–
a village Goddess of Tamil Nadu
A sacred grove of the Mother-Goddess
Amman means Mother-Goddess. In the whole of Tamil Nadu, one will find countless temples, shrines, sacred groves dedicated to Her. Today I will tell you about a special, calm, yet powerful place of the Mother-Goddess, somewhere in a village in Tamil Nadu.
Somewhere in nature appears a mud-brick wall, enclosing a neem tree. I have to take a closer look. It is a silent place, somehow it seems that the noise of the nearby road ceases there. The only sound one can hear is the wind moving the leaves of the neem tree, a beautiful tree with lush green leaves. The mud brick wall has a almost square form with a small entrance. Entering the shine, wind is arising, moving slightly the leaves of the neem tree. Two stones, smeared over and over with kunkumam (red powder, symbolising the life-energy of the Goddess) and manjcal (turmeric, also sacred to the Goddess; both are worn by Goddess devotees in Tamil Nadu on their foreheads) are placed on the ground.
After some time, a lady is joining. She tells that she lives near this sacred grove. “This Vadaakuvaaselvi Amman and her sister. I often come here-just sitting and meditating. Here I can get peace of mind.“ The Goddess always has to have a free sight to the North that is what Her name means, a Goddess looking to the North. The lady narrates a story about the origin of this Goddess: “ Once somebody ploughed or dug the field. Suddenly there was a stone and it started to bleed. So they stopped this action. Somebody got a vision and told that here lives a Goddess. So the shrine was erected.” She often comes and lights a small mud lamp for Amman. Many terracotta hands and legs are placed near the stone-image of the Mother-Goddess. The woman explains that people who got cured of hand and foot sufferings; offer clay replicas of these body parts to thank the Goddess for healing them. They do this especially during the festival, which takes place in Pradasi (September/October). “ I always come to the festival and cook ponkal there!”
A festival for Amman
End of September 2005, I decide to visit the festival. The Amman thiruvizha will take place for one day. When I am arriving, a group of women carrying Mulaipari (an earthen pot with nine sprouted grains- a request to the Mother-Goddess for rich harvest and a plenty of rain) is walking down the road. I am running the catch the procession - walking through many small narrow lanes of the village, accompanied by devotional Amman songs which sound from loudspeaker boxes placed in many parts of the village: “Mariyamman, Mariyamman”. Women standing at their house entrance watch the Mulaipari procession, some decide to follow. They wear colourful saris, many in red and yellow, the colours of Amman. The music from the loudspeaker boxes continues to play Amman songs. I am just following the group, suddenly we reach a place somewhere in the village - some kind of centre for meetings. All women are placing their Mulaipari pots on the ground. A huge crowd has already assembled here. Then - all ladies start to form a circle, enclosing the earthen pots, dancing and clapping. A woman in a splendid decorated sari wearing a lot of necklaces and bangles joins the dancing ladies. Surrounded by them, she sings a song for Amman. The others form the chorus, continuing clapping and dancing: “Tananee, Tananee” (this dance is called Kummi and the accompanying song Kummi paattu). Even from some ladies in the audience (me included) the chorus Tananee, Tananee is arising - singing and dancing, enjoying and celebrating Amman.
All ladies take their pots, place them again on their heads and the procession continues – through small, narrow lanes, muddy streets – finally the vicinity of the Amman koyil. Ladies gathering in front of their houses are sprinkling water on the sprouted grains. The small sacred grove is overcrowded. All devotees want to bring their offerings and receive the blessings of the Goddess - a long queue is waiting. Small wooden stalls sell things like small plastic toys, candyfloss, bangles; small children are enjoying a small merry-go-round.
Inside the grove, the stone representation of Amman is over and over decorated with flower–garlands in white, yellow, orange and dark pink and a small silver metal mask with eyes. A pucari, hardly seen for the rest of the year, is responsibly for waving the camphor flame and distributing prasadam like bananas, flowers, ponkal.
I meet the lady who told the story of Vadaakuvaaselvi Amman. Like she does every year, she prepares ponkal, some other women joining her.
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
In Issue 4 / December 2005:
Dancing with MA Kali - a poem for the Goddess
MA Kali- personification of female autonomy
Dear readers !
From the 17th until the 20 th of December I am going to participate at a conference in Delhi. I will present a
paper on "Mulaipari - A South Indian women´s ritual - promoting sign for female empowerment", for more informations: www.indicstudies.org.
All the blessings of the Goddess
MAriska
Dancing with MA Kali
Dark the night, the moon dives the world into a mysterious light,
time to meet for our dance, our eternal dance,
dance of joy , dance of ecstasy, beyond all borders !
The palm trees, beautiful in shape, swaying branches,
twinkling stars, thousands and thousands of stars,
illumination of the night, the dark night sky, dark as the womb of all creation,
your creation, oh great creatrix! The womb from which all power emerges,
your all pervading and almighty energy! We are one, one soul!
Surrounded by red light, interwoven with yellow and orange,
like a red fireball, powerful light, red, the colour of life,
holding our hands, with free, open hair, running through the night,
full of power and full of the joys of life!
You take my hands and I take yours! We dance and dance,
never-ending, our eternal dance!
On the fields, in the woods, on the mountains, diving into the sea,
in the clouds, in the whole universe!
Earth, wind, fire, water and ether, sacred immanence of you,
everywhere, in every element, all-pervading energy,
also inside me, incarnation of the Goddess!
Dancing with the wind, dancing with the fire, dancing with the trees, the flowers!
We are the wind, the fire, the trees and the flowers !
We dance on the Earth and in the Sky, we are the Earth and the Sky!
Dancing, feel the power and strength!
Dancing for peace and happiness! All life-celebrating!
Dancing for sisterhood!
Dancing beyond all borders and ties!
Dancing for resepct for all life!
Dancing for and with Mother Earth!
Dancing for equivalence!
Dancing for a world of peace, joy and happiness!
Enjoying our dance, enjoying the world of the Goddess, MA you are the world!
Embracing you! Deep feelings of love and compassion for you!
Our love is eternal like our dance! We belong together, dancing,
spirit of freedom, power, strength, flowing Shakti!
All is possible with you, always inside and beside me !
A new society full of peace, respect, equivalence and happiness,
only through you, oh Goddess, oh Ma, always inside, beside and around me! I love you!
MA Kali- personification of female autonomy
Introduction
MA Kali is venerated all over
MA Kali has Her origin in tribal society. A social order which gave reverence and importance to women did not coincide with the society where the first texts and scriptural references about MA Kali emerge. Therefore She is often portrayed as blood-thirsty, personified wrath, etc. Until nowadays, many scholars and other people portray Her as violent, angry, etc., continuing patriarchal interpretations of the Divine Mother. Often, scholars establish artificial orders and systematise Goddesses in good/bad, light/dark, etc dichotomies. These assumptions are not suitable to understand MA Kali and other independent Goddesses who belong to a different social order opposing male-dominated society. MA Kali represents real female values beyond patriarchal constructed and restricted pictures of womanhood.
On the other hand, numerous Shakta Tantras celebrate Her as the Divine Mother and creatrix of the universe. Countless hymns have been composed for Her. Nowadays, female scholars are on the way to question the over centuries traded opinions about MA Kali. Who has written texts about Her and what was the intention behind portrayals as malevolent, etc.? Further, it is a task to highlight women’s understandings of MA Kali and their relationship with Her. MA Kali´s veneration by women and their rituals can unveil Her original meaning.
This article will speak about the origins of MA Kali, Her later appearances in Sanskrit scriptures and Her veneration in present times. At last, it will be discussed how MA Kali functions as a role model for contemporary women in India and all over the world in re-discovering their power, creativity, autonomy and enable them to lead a self-determined life.
Tribal origin
MA Kali´s origin predating first scriptural references belongs to tribal societies based in the forests. A work from the seventh/ beginning eighth century C.E., Vakpati´s Gaudavaho refers to MA Kali as an aspect of Vindhyavasini (later an ephitet of Durga, but originally a local Mountain Goddess associated with the Vindhya – mountains) who is worshipped by Sabaras and clothed in leaves (Kinsley,2003 :24).
An architectural treatise, Mana-sara-silpasastra, mentions that Kali is worshipped by tribal and low-caste people in wild places and Her temples have to be built far from villages and towns, near cremation grounds or dwellings of candelas (Kinsley,2003:25). A present postcard from
In Tamil Nadu, a Goddess called Pattira Kaliyamman is venerated in a sacred grove in Madapuram, a small village 45 minutes away from
Scriptural references
Earliest references to Kali date from the early medieval period (C.E.600). She appears in the Devi-Mahatmya in the third episode. When the demons Canda and Munda approach Durga, Kali springs from Her forehead as Her personified anger. Later, She is summoned by Durga to help to defeat the demon Raktabija (Kinsley, 2003:25). Later texts continue in describing MA Kali as dark, uncontrollable, as personified anger of other so-called “benevolent” Goddesses like Parvati (Kinsley,2003: 28). A recent article of Patricia Dold asks for a greater balance in scholarly assessments of Kali´s earlier portrayals (Dold, 2003:42). In her analysis of the Mahabhagavata Purana, a late medieval text, she discovers a complete different picture of MA Kali. She claims that scholars’ selective reading continues to present a narrow-minded picture of MA Kali (Dold,2003:41-42) The Mahabhagavatas´devotionalism shows a multifaceted vision of Kali, not a personification of death like in the Mahabharata, not a emaciated Kali like in Devi-Mahatmya, an emanation of Durga´s wrath nor is this Kali, the angry and wantonly destructive alter ego of the auspicious, benign Goddesses of the Puranic tales ( Dold,2003: 41). The Goddess explains Herself:
“I am She who bestows liberation to all,
who orchestrates creation, preservation and destruction,
the matriarch of the world.”
Kali is referred to as essence of all Goddesses rather than a personification of their anger or destructive powers. She is no longer portrayed as merely the dark side of auspicious Goddesses; She is their very essence (Dold, 2003:43). The privileged status of women devotees is also mentioned in the Mahabhagavata.
Other textual sources, like the Shakta Tantras venerate MA Kali as the Divine Mother, the creatrix of the universe. In Tantras, She is referred to as the greatest of all deities or the highest reality (Kinsley, 2003:29). The Mahanirvana Tantra praises Her:
“Thou art Kali, the original forms of all things
and because Thou art the Origin of and devourest all things
Thou art called Adya (primordial) Kali.
Thou art the beginning of all, creatrix, protectress and destructress that Thou art. (Avalon, 1972:49-50).
The Karpuradi-stotra celebrates Her as the supreme mistress of the universe, She is identified with 5 elements (Kinsley, 2003:31).
One form of MA Kali described in the Tantras is Guhyakali. In the Mahakalasamhita, She is portrayed as having ten faces. Each of these faces represents a different female animal aspect of Her. Her upper face is called Dvipika (a leopardess or possibly a panther), then Keshari (a lioness) which is white, Pheru (jackal) which is black, then Vanara (a monkey) which is red, Riksha (a bear) which is purple, Nara (a woman) which is of cochineal colour, Garuda, Makara (a crocodile) which is turmeric colour, Gaja (elephant) which is of golden colour and Haya (horse) which is of dark or dusky ( shyama) colour. She has three major forms, corresponding to creation, maintenance and destruction (www.shivashakti.com/guhya.htm).
In the Yogini, Kamakhya and Niruttara Tantra, She is affirmed as the supreme Mahavidya. The Nigamakalpataru and Picchild Tantra assert that the greatest Mantra is that of Kali ( DasGupta Sherma, 1998:111).
It is a further task to trace, as far it is possible, the authors of texts. Who has written a text and what was the intention? Are there hidden female authors and poetesses who have written about MA Kali and have expressed their strong feelings of love and compassion for Her? In future, concerning textual references, it is essential to continue to write more about texts and poems that celebrate MA Kali and counteract current misconceptions.
Veneration of MA Kali in present times
In
In Kaliyamman temples in Tamil Nadu, women assemble every Tuesday and Friday to light lemon candles and to pray. Every year, countless village festivals for Kaliyamman take place. She is celebrated in a big manner and women have an active space of participation.
Many local oral stories about Her origin exist all over Tamil Nadu. At one of Her festivals, a woman told me that Kaliyamman is another form of Mariyamman. In temples in Peraiyur and Thirumangalam, located in Madurai-District, Kaliyamman and Mariyamman are referred to as sisters, the elder and the younger sister. It is also common to depict Kali in a non-anthropomorphic way, either as a stone or a triculam (trident), often decorated with a yellow piece of cloth. Her diverse local manifestations have in common that She is venerated as a loving Mother who protects Her devotees. Every Tuesday and Friday, many women go to Her temples and seek Her help and blessings.
Kali as role model for contemporary women
Tracy Pintchman points out that Goddesses like Kali are usually understood primarily as metaphors for spiritual, mental or physical processes but certainly not as role model for behaviour. Further, she states that women are concrete expressions of both Shakti and prakriti. She asks to what extent could this system function as a positive paradigm for Indian women that recognize their power and if it is possible for Indian women to claim their power from within the tradition (Pintchman, 1994:212). She has the opinion that further potential lies in how the relationship between the more dangerous Goddesses and women might be reconsidered and that Kali could well serve as a symbol of women’s desire to transform and empower both their own lives and Hindu culture in general (Pintchman, 1994:213).
I agree at least in part with Tracy Pintchman that Kali is a powerful role model for Indian women, but additionally for women all over the world. To invoke Kali as role model, first, it is essential to understand Her original meaning and not to continue misconceptions and dichotomies.
Meditation for women’s spiritual empowerment
In a former issue of Journal MA in my article Women’s spiritual empowerment through Goddess worship- The Indian context, I describe a short meditation on MA Kali and emphasise that it is essential to free one-self from prescribed patriarchal role models. Meditating on MA Kali will help a woman to get rid of her self-imposed negative thoughts.
Write everything what disturbs you, what is a burden for you, all your negative thoughts about you on a sheet of paper, if you like. Otherwise you can imagine all these thoughts and disturbances. Then visualise MA Kali helping you to burn down all these hindrances in your life. You can repeat this ritual several times, as often you wish.
Afterwards, join MA Kali in a dance over fields, in the woods, in the sky, wherever you would like to be with Her. Open your hair; wear only loose clothes which do not restrict your movements, wear clothes which allow you to breathe freely. Free yourself from inner and outer pressures.
MA Kali´s both hands make the gestures of fear not and giving boons. Wherever you go, remember powerful, autonomous and sacred immanent Goddesses like MA Kali are always by your side giving you protection, power and self-esteem. MA Kali lives in the five elements. Therefore She is always with you, guiding you on your way to a self-determined life.
Selected bibliography:
Arthur Avalon, 1972, Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahanirvana Tantra), Ganesh,
Rita DasGupta Sherma, R., 1998, Sacred immanence: Reflections of Ecofeminism in Hindu Tantra in: Nelson, L.E. (ed.),Purifying the Earthly Body of God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu India, State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, p. 89-132.
Patricia Dold, Kali the Terrific and Her Tests The Sakta Devotionalism of the Mahabhagavata Purana, in: Jeff J. Kripal, Rachel Fell McDermott, (ed.), Encountering Kali: In the margins, at the centre, in the West,
David Kinsley, 2003, Kali in: Jeff J. Kripal, Rachel Fell McDermott, (ed.), Encountering Kali: In the margins, at the centre, in the West,
Tracy Pintchman, 1994, The Rise of the Goddess in Hindu tradition, State University of New York Press,
www.southwestern.edu/academic/bwp/pdf/2005bwp-craddock.pdf
www.varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=144
MA - journal for and about the Goddess
on the Indian subcontinent
In Issue 3/ October/November 2005:
Waves of joy – a poem for the Goddess
The world is your holy body- Sacred immanent
Mother-Goddess
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
Dear readers!
Because I was busy with preparations for a poster presentation–title “Environmental education through Mother Goddess worship” and with another conference paper on Mulaipari, this issue of Journal MA came out later. Because of this, it is a issue for October and November this time.
All the blessings of MA, the Mother-Goddess!
MAriska
The silver colour of the moon is illuminating the clear night sky. A soft gentle breeze is blowing through my hair. I am walking along the beach, feeling the still warm sand under my feet.
The length of the beach seems to be infinite and eternal, eternal and infinite as you, MA. You are there, walking beside me, being inside me. Your energy flows through every grain of sand. I am fulfilled with deep happiness and joy, I start to run, laughing and dancing on the beach, celebrating you, MA, your omni-presence, your almighty, your all-powerful life-energy. The waves are moving, getting higher and higher. Again and again, they are forming new formations, like thousand scintillating diamonds, the necklaces of you, MA. MA, you move them, MA, you are the sea. You are immanent in every wave, oh Goddess of oceans, of the nourishing waters! The roaring of the waves, the sound of the wind, I listen to your words. You speak to me, through every element!
Power of the ubiquitous Goddess! Oh my Goddess, my love for you is so great, millions of pages are not enough to express my deep feelings for you! You are my life!
A place on a rock, symbol for your strength and invincibility! Strong, all-powerful, invincible, the world is your holy body, oh Mother!
The waves are swirling around my feet. I feel the holy water, the power of the element. Oh Mother of all life! The waves are touching my feet, you are touching me, oh my Goddess and I am touching you! You are always there, inside me, beside me and around me! I love you!
“The world is your holy body”-
Sacred immanent Mother-Goddess
From ancient times onwards, people celebrated the sacred immanence of the Mother-Goddess. Pupul Jayakar emphasises that the earliest primordial images of the Earth Mother glorified a female fecundating principle what held within itself the secret of birth and death. The dark, earth-bound Goddess was a virgin, yet a Mother, for no father seemed necessary to the society in which She originated ( Pupul Jayakar, 1989:36; the word “virgin” is not used in a patriarchal sense. Here it means that the Goddess is independent and autonomous).
On the Indian subcontinent, female terracotta figurines from Zhob and Kulli cultures of
Worship of Mother Earth and Nature continues during the following ages. All over
Since immemorial times, people venerated Rivers as holy sites. Early agricultural societies like the Indus-Civilisation always settled near Them as water is essential for life. Rivers, lakes and ponds are all associated with the Goddess and Her nurturing and life-giving abilities (Bhattacharya, 1999: 63-64). Goddess Sarasvati was honoured as a River-Goddess ( Kinsley, 2000:83-86). Dating from the Gupta age, two statues (now at the
Scriptures
As first textual evidence of the worship of the Earth, the Atharvaveda can be mentioned. Pupul Jayakar states that it is the earliest record of the beliefs, the imagery, the rituals and worship of the autochthonous people of
“The Earth on whom waters flow
day and night with never ceasing motion
The Earth that is brown, black and red in colour–
a vast abode.” (Pupul Jayakar, 1989:57)
In the Markandeya Purana, the Goddess says:
“I shall support the whole world with the life sustaining vegetables which shall grow out of my own body during a period of heavy rain. I shall gain fame on Earth then as Sakambhari.”(Bhattachraya, 1999:19).
Tantraraja Tantra equates different cosmic geographical regions with various aspects (vidyas) of Shakti. Shakta Tantras emphasise that the Goddess is the world and all diverse forms aspects of Her being (DasGupta Sherma, 1998:107). Shakta puranas mention that the universe is simply a transformation of the Goddess Herself. Diverse parts of the cosmos are equated with different parts of Her body. The sun and the moon are equated with Her eyes and the quarters with Her ears. The universe is said to be Her heart, the Earth Her loins, and the midregions Her navel (Pintchman, 1994:182).
Village Goddesses in
Village Goddesses all over
Goddess Mariyamman is believed to live in the neem tree (Tamil: veepumaram). Actually, the tree can be regarded as one of Her manifestations. Neem trees are often decorated with red or yellow pieces of cloth and smeared with kunkuman (red powder) and manjcal (turmeric powder). Often figurines of holy snakes are situated under the trees.
The original places of Mother-Goddess worship are open space shrines under trees and sacred groves. The figure of the presiding Mother Goddess is made of terracotta. This material symbolises Mother Earth. The forming of a new statue at an annual festival is a symbol for Her never–ending circle of birth, life and death and resurrection. At the same time, the making of terracotta figurines gives Her vastness shape in order to show reverence for and honour Her. Her holy groves house a variety of plants, trees and are the living space for many animals. According to the ancient belief, in such groves, it is not allowed to cut any tree or to remove any other plant. Kongayi Amman, a village Goddess of Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu, dislikes the noise of cutting trees. Therefore in the whole area surrounding Her sacred abode, no single tree is removed (www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/ic/wssd/doc3/chapter10/css/Chapter10.htm). Hence, these sacred groves of the Mother- Goddess play a very important role in preserving the ecological balance.
Nowadays, it is essential that people re-realise the sacredness of Mother Earth and Nature and honour Her holy body.
Selected bibliography:
Bhattacharya, N.N., 1998 The Indian Mother Goddess, Manohar,
Pupul Jayakar, 1989, The Earth Mother, Penguin Books,
David Kinsley, 2000, Die indischen Göttinnen, Insel Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.
Maria-Priska (Mariska) Ondrich, 2003, Göttin, Priesterin und Frau. Weibliche Terrakottafigurinen aus Harappa und Mohenjo-Daro. Diplomarbeit Universität Wien.
Tracy Pintchman, 1994, The Rise of the Goddess in the Hindu Tradition.
Rita DasGupta Sherma, 1998, Sacred Immanence. Reflection of Ecofeminism in Hindu Tantra, in: Purifying the Earthly Body of God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu
Next issue December 2005:poem: Dancing with Ma Kali; article: Ma Kali - personification of female autonomy
In Issue 2/ September 2005:
Poem for the Goddess
Menstruation – Holy Blood
Editor: MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D. scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D.scholar
Moon
Earth
Nature
Sacred
Temple of the Mother-Goddess
Renewal
Uterus
Auspicious
Transition
Illumination
Ovary
Nine
MENSTRUATION - HOLY BLOOD
A woman wearing brightly beige trousers is pouring a blue liquid on a sanitary towel and demonstrating that the blue liquid is soaked up by it completely. Advertisements show sanitary towels in discreet colours. The colour red is never used. The statement is clear - do not talk about in public, be clean and hide this "state" perfectly. In many parts of the world, women are still told that they are unclean and polluting during their periods. In India, menstruation is still considered as impure. During this time, many additional restrictions are imposed on women's lives. But on the contrary, we have many evidences that menstrual blood is considered as holy in India. Also the first menstruation of a girl is celebrated as special occasion.
Shakta Tantric scriptures emphasise the holiness of menstrual blood. many scholars agree on the fact that Shakta Tantric scriptures have their origin in the Mother-Goddess honouring village religion of India (Bhattacharya, 1999: 224). Menstrual blood is seen as a natural extension of the body and as a pure substance by Shakta Tantrics: "Menstruation of women of their body, how can it be impure ?" (Khanna,2000:118). Every woman is regarded as incarnation of the Goddess. Therefore in Shakta Tantric view, a woman’s body and her senses are sacred.
In Goddess temples all of
First hesitating, but after I had convinced her that her menstruation is something special, a lady shared her experiences with Bhagavathi, a menstruating Goddess in Kerala, South India, with me. For many weeks, she had severe problems with her period. She lost too much blood. After she had consulted several doctors and nobody could help her, she decided to visit the
In Malabar region, Mother Earth rests during the hot weather until she gets the first shower of rain. In the
In Tamil Nadu, a girl’s first menstruation is the cause for celebration and ceremonies. She receives a lot of gifts and wears for the first time a sari (preferably in red, the colour of life, of the Goddess), as I was told, often donated by her maternal grandmother.
Inspired and empowered by texts honouring the menstrual blood in the Shakta tantra tradition and of several Goddesses of
Selected bibliography:
Bhattacharya, N.N. 1999, The Indian Mother Goddess, Manohar,
DasGupta Sherma, R., 2000, Sa Ham- I am She- Woman as Goddess, p. 24-51 in: Hiltebeitel, A. & Erndl,K., Is the Goddess a feminist ? The Politics of South Asian Goddesses,
Khanna, M., 2000, The Goddess-Women Equation in Sakta Tantras in: Contributors, Mandakranta Bose–editor, The Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval and Modern India, Oxford University Press.
WELCOME TO JOURNAL MA !!!
In Issue 1/August 2005:
MA, you are everywhere! – poem for the Goddess
WOMEN'S SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH GODDESS WORSHIP - THE INDIAN CONTEXT
Editor: MAriska Ondrich. M.Phil., Ph.D. scholar
All contributions by MAriska Ondrich, M.Phil., Ph.D. scholar
MA, you are everywhere!
MA, I feel your presence everywhere!
When I see a tree, the green of her leaves, the green of my palm trees,
you are there!
When I embrace a neem tree and the leaves start to move,
you are there!
When wind arises,
you speak to me !
When I sit on the Earth, touching Her with my hands,
I feel and touch you!
When I see the blue of the sky and the movements of the clouds,
you move them!
When it rains,
you nourish the soil and you also nourish me!
When sunrays touch my skin,
you touch me !
When the moonlight shines on me,
you look at me!
Your sacred immanence is felt everywhere, your energy is all life-creating, pervading and sustaining !
MA, you are always inside me, beside me, around me and with me!
At every step of my life,
you are with me and I am with you! I love you !
WOMEN'S SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH GODDESS WORSHIP - THE INDIAN CONTEXT
WorldGoddess Religion
Numerous archaeological remains prove that the religion of the Great Goddess, who represents the never-ending circle of creation, life, death and ressurection and is immanent in the whole world and universe, existed all over the world. Although called by different names, Her concept was the same in evevry place. Earlier, women had a high social position. They contributed a lot to society, in all fields of human life: spirituality, agriculture, arts, science, medicine,... Menstrual blood was considered as holy fluid. Women celebrated the Goddess, singing and dancing, feeling the divine in every part of their body. In general, they nourished the world as living incarnations of the Goddess. Women were highly estimated, people lived in peace and harmony. Mother Nature and all living beings were respected.
Since thousand of years, patriarchal society has alienated women from the power inherent themselves and from each other. Inner ties and imposed compulsions stopped and still stop women to live a self-determined life. Women were and still many are not aware of their immense spiritualenergy. But the situation is slightly changing: more and more feminists discover the importance of female divine role models as liberating force for women.
Goddess religion in India
In India, the religion of a sacred immanent, almighty, omnipotent Goddess exited since immemorial times. The first evidences of Goddess-worship date back to the Zhob and Kulli cultures in Baluchistan ( today's Pakistan ), which predate the Indus-Civilisation. Later, in the Indus-Civilisation-area, many small terracotta figurines have been excavated. Many scholars have agreed on the fact that these figurines represent the Earth-Goddess, the Mother-Goddess. When taking a closer look at these figurines, one can discover a complex interaction of symbols and meanings, which are not only meant to represent the Earth Goddess in all Her different aspects but also a Sky Goddess describing the three phases of the moon. Those Goddesses were important for all facets of life and were the ultimate source of creation, life, death and resurrection (Maria-Priska Ondrich,2003).
The Goddess continued to be worshipped. Female clay figurines of the Mother-Goddess were found during the Maurya-, Sunga-, Kushana-, Gupta-Age, actually in all parts of India and during all centuries. Her religion was and still is mainly found in villages and tribal settlements.
The wisdom of the Mother-Goddess, the tradition of the villages was written down in a spophisticated way in Shakta Tantra scriptures. The used language was Sanskrit. These scriptures combine elements of primordial Mother-Goddess mythology and worship and later added elements not belonging to the original concept.
Nowadays, we find a vast majority of village and tribal Goddesses all over India. People believe that those Mothers of the settlements have been already there before the village came into existence. Annually, they are celebrated with big festivals which honour them and their ability to help, protect and heal the inhabitants of villages. They posses Shakti, the female spiritual energy and are all-powerful and invincible.
Goddess-woman
Since immemorial times, women celebrated the Goddess in festivals with own rituals, singing and dancing. Until present days, women have own rituals and dances to celebrate their Goddesses. In village Goddess festivals in Tamil Nadu, e.g., women carry mulaipari ( earthen pots with grown grains inside it ) to request Amman ( Mother-Goddess ) for a good harvest and rain. Before dissolving the pots in a river or a lake ( also representing the Goddess), they perform a special dance called kummi and sing kummi pattu ( songs accompanying the dance ).
As Rita DasGupta Sherma points rightly out, the private worship tradition centred on the Divine Mother , where no textual bigotry bars a woman from being empowered by communion with the Divine Mother, no liturgical complexity prevents her from realising oneness with the Devi, is very important for women (Rita DasGupta, 2000:36).
The old wisdom of a powerful and autonomous Goddess and all women as Her incarnation's embodiments was written down in an elaborate way in the Shakta Tantras. All women are regarded as the physical incarnation of Shakti, the Great Goddess. All women at birth are the bearers of an intrinsic Shakti. Throughout the Shakta texts, we find lines like that:
" Every woman is born into the family of the Great mother."
" Every woman in this world is, indeed, my (human) form."
Shakta Tantras emphasise that at birth all women, of all cultures, naturally assume the power and divinity of cosmic energy and that they are to be looked on as the Goddess's physical counterpart on Earth. An inseparable body unites the physical women with the cosmic as they both reflect each other (Madhu Khanna: 2000, 114-115). The Tripuranarva Tantra says: " Even outside the sacred circle , all women are born of thy parts because it is the Great goddess alone who having assumed the form of the physical women created this world." In Shakta circles, all women are addressed as Ma or Devi or Vira. Nowadays, e.g. in Tamil Nadu, all women are addressed as Amma meaning Mother. But over centuries, the honouring term " Mother" has been misinterpreted by patriarchy and confined a woman to a role as child-bearing and birth-giving machine. The original concept of the holiness of every woman as incarnation of the Mother of the universe and world, the Great Goddess, was forgotten.
Spiritual empowerment
An identification with female deities, all powerful and autonomous Goddesses of villages and of the tantric lore can help women to free themselves from inner ties and compulsions and to realise their immense power, their female spiritual energy, Shakti. Dormant as so-called Kundalini-Shakti, it lies as a coiled serpent in the root chakra, in the womb. Women can easily get in touch with their inner spiritual power as they are incarnations of the Great Goddess, who is the creatrix and creation, sacred immanent in every living-being, in the Earth, the rivers, lakes,the sea, the elements, the sky.
One of the most powerful symbols of the goddess, is the yoni ( symbol of the universal matrix, womb of the Goddess), the three corners of which represent consciousness of Shakti as a triune of will, knowledge and action (Rita DasGupta Sherma,2000:42). Since Palaeolithic times, one can discover this Goddess symbol all over the world. While concentrating on this symbol, a woman can get in touch with the very essence of her power and awaken it. In order to feel the power, a woman concentrates on her womb as:
Goddesses as role models
We have identified the centre of power. Now I would like to mention some Goddesses who function as empowering role models for women.
One the way to a self-determined life, the most important step is to free oneself from prescribe patriarchal role models. A Goddess, who will definitely help women on this way, is already well known outside India: Her name is Kali. In India, cities are named after Her. She is especially famous in Calcutta ( now Kolkata ) and has temples and shrines all over India. In Tamil Nadu, she has also taken many local forms. One of her iconographical attributes is a fire crown.
Meditation: First of all, write all your negative thoughts about yourself on a sheet of paper. Then burn them and forget them. Imagine Ma Kali, burining down your self-imposed restrictions. If you need, repeat the ritual several times, several weeks, as often you need it. Start to mediate on Kali, become on with Her. Open your hair, feel Her immense power inside yourself. You are invincible. Nobody can dictate you your way of life.
Every of your action has success. One Goddess helping you on this effort, is Durga. In Tamil literature, a Goddess called Korravai is mentioned. It was often said that she was the prototype for Goddesses like Kali and Durga, but in this context I do not want to talk about the origin of certain Goddesses which can be a book of its own. Durga means inaccesible and in some local contexts,She is portrayed as a mountain Goddess.
Meditation: Her invincible character will help you to achieve her goals while meditating and getting one with Her. All doubts and obstacles which appear in your mind and as a consequence in the outer world, can be easily removed while concentrating on Her power. She also helps you to keep focused and to achieve your desired goal. Her arrow never fails.
Heal your inner wounds and your body. One task of the village Goddesses of Tamil Nadu is to heal all different kind of illness.For our meditation, we will approach a Goddess called Mariyamman. She appears in villages all over Tamil Nadu. Mari means rain or small pox. In her most original form, Mariyamman was a nature Goddess, connected with rain and Earth as all village Goddesses.
Meditation: Visualise Mariyamman coming to you. She sends you rain which frees your body from all stress, illness, etc. Watch how everything which disturbs you, is washed away. Get one with Her healing power.
Realise the power of Mother Nature. Every Goddess in India is connected with Nature, be it the Earth, the river, the trees, the mountains. The power of Nature is often called prakriti, also the term Maya describes the sacred immanence of the Goddess in the world.
Mediation: Meditate upon your oneness with Mother Nature, celebrate the sacred immanence of the Goddess while embracing a tree, bathing in a lake, in a river, in the sea, smelling a flower, speaking to the wind. Start to communicate with Mother Nature. In Tamil Nadu, in ancient times, no arteficial temples were erected. The Goddess was worshipped under a tree, in a forest. Until nowadays, so called kovilkaadu (sacred groves) exist. There, the sacred immanence of the Goddess is worshipped. Create your own Goddess temple, a place in Nature where you can meditate and feel the elements inside you and around you.
Conclusion
This article shall function as introduction to the original meaning of the indian Goddesses. I have also created workshops on women's spiritual empowerment through Goddess worship, where the mentioned aspects are dealt with in more depth. I invite you to continue walking on this path, the way to your inner Goddess.
Selected bibliography:
Madhu Khanna, 2000, The Goddess-woman equation in Sakta Tantras, p.109-123 in: Mandakranta Bose (ed.) The Faces of the Feminine in Ancient,Medieval and Modern India, Oxford Press.
Maria-Priska Ondrich, 2003, Goettin, Priesterin und Frau. Weibliche Terrakottafigurinen aus Harappa und Mohenjo-Daro, Diplomarbeit, Universitaet Wien, unpublished.
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