Masani Amman Temple, Coimbatore Overview

Masani Amman Temple is a temple dedicated to Masani Devi, who is also known as Shakti Devi. It is located in the Panchayat Town of Annamalai in Coimbatore district it also referred to as Arulmigu Masani Amman Temple or Annamalai Masani Amman Temple. The vibe of the temple is, thus, highly spiritual and draws devotees in large numbers. One of the unique features of the temple is the large idol of Goddess Masani which is 15 feet long and is set up in a lying posture. Many devotees also come to seek blessings from the goddess for good health and happy family life. The grand temple is a perfect attraction for architectural buffs who keep interest in temple architecture. With a large number of devotees visiting regularly, the place creates a high-intensity vibration that can be experienced through a little observation. Those who manage to experience it will know how surreal it feels to be in the presence of the divine power.

Significance of Masaniamman Temple

Masani Amman is believed to relieve girls off of the physical pain/health issues when they attain puberty. According to a legend, when Lord Rama was on his way to rescue his wife, Goddess Sita, he learned about Masani Amman and that the deity represents Parasakti. He made an idol of the Goddess in a reclining posture with the sand available in the crematorium and offered her prayers before proceeding to rescue Sita. The place Annamalai is mentioned as Umbarkadu in Sangam Literature. The deity is also called Mayana Sayani (Mayanam meaning Crematorium and Sayani meaning reclining).

The prasad distributed at the temple is called Pachilam Marundu. It is considered to be highly beneficial for women who wish to bear a child to consume this prasad and tie a black thread around their wrist. Many women also tie a black thread to nullify the effects of witchcraft and black magic. Devotees also offer ground chilies to the justice stone with a wish to recover their possessions that have been stolen. Some even write their worries and issues on a piece of paper and tie it around the hands of the deity. It is believed that they get the solutions or their issues are resolved within 90 days.

Legend of Masani Amman Temple

Thousands of years ago, Annamalai was ruled by a ruler called Nannur who owned hectares of land that had farmlands and mango groves. The panchayat of Annamalai was also called Nannur at that time. The ruler once announced the harshest levels of punishments for anyone found trespassing his property or plucking fruits. A lady, unaware of these measures, happened to eat a mango. She was immediately caught and sentenced to death. She and the villagers pleaded for forgiveness as she wasn't aware of the rules, but Nannur didn't budge and killed the lady. Later, the villagers fought against Nannur and killed him in a battle. After the victory, they built a shrine in the memory of the lady and named her Masani Devi, Masani meaning graveyard.

Masani Amman

The Deity of the Masani Amman Temple is Masani Amman who is also known as Goddess Arulmigu Masani Amman. The idol of the deity has a length of 15 feet from head to toe and is seen in the lying posture. She is said to be the source of infinite energy and is believed to bless women trying to bear a child and also the one who relieves the physical issues girls undergo during puberty. Other than Masani Amman, the temple also has idols of Neethi Kal or the Stone of Justice and Mahamuniappan. These deities are also worshipped with great devotion as they are also believed to possess the power to cure illness and resolve issues that the devotees face in their lives.