அருள்மிகு பன்னாரி மாரியம்மன் கோயில், பன்னாரிArulmigu Bannari Mariamman Temple, Bannari

Sthala Mahātmyam

The Bannari Mariamman (Bannari Amman) Temple near Sathyamangalam in Erode district honours Bannari Amman, an avatar of Shakti revered especially as a goddess of rain and protection. Several origin legends are told. In one, cowherds grazing cattle in the forest found that one cow spontaneously poured its milk over a spot beneath a banyan tree; digging there, villagers uncovered a self-manifested (swayambhu) divine form and began worshipping the Goddess as Bannari Amman. In another, the Goddess took human form to help a woman in childbirth and later appeared in the family's dream, directing them to her image embedded in a neem tree and asking that a festival be held. The temple is famed for its fire-rituals: the great Panguni Kundam (fire-pit) festival in March–April draws lakhs of devotees who walk across burning coals (theemithi) as penance to cool the fierce Goddess and fulfil their vows. It is a major pilgrimage centre for the Kongu region.