Description

The mother of rain, Mariamman, is a pre-vedic goddess from South India. Mari means rain, and Amman is mother. Farmers dependent on rain pray for her blessings. Mother Mariamman is frequently associated with smallpox and chickenpox. She is a powerful goddess considered equivalent to Durga and Parvati. She’s also worshipped as an incarnation of goddess Kali.

This is a beautiful depiction of the goddess, seated on an intricately carved throne made into the shape of a raised platform. We can see the shades of red in her face and her clothes. She is portrayed with four arms, representing her many powers. Her lower left hand is held out in the apana mudra, the gesture of pranic cleansing. Her upper left hand holds the holy trident. Her right hands hold a chopper and snake wrapped around an hourglass drum, the damru.

The gracious sitting pose has the goddess’ left leg tucked in and right leg extended downward. We see a five-headed serpent parasol over her head, a symbolism that’s frequently associated with this form of the goddess. At her feet we see a head covered by another depiction of a five headed snake. This is another aspect of the goddess herself, called Solai Mariamman, where she’s depicted with just her head on the ground.