Originally the Amman was in the form of white-ant hill (Puttru). It is said that the daughter of Tulaja Raja (1729вЂ“35) of Tanjore, who lost her eyesight in an illness, regained it on offering worship at this temple. The King lost no time in rushing to the spot indicated to him and recovered the idol from the jungle.ДЄ temple was constructed at the place and the idol installed and so the deity of this temple is known as Punnainallur Mariamman. In the year 1680, when the Maharashtra king Venkoji Maharaja Chatrapatti (1676вЂ“1688) of Tanjore was on a pilgrimage at Samayapuram, where there is a famous temple dedicated to Kali, Mariamman appeared to the King in his dream and told him -that she (the idol) was in a forest of Punnai trees at a distance of about 3 miles from Tanjore. The Mariamman Temple is still maintained by the descendants of the royal family of Thanjavur. It is said that the daughter of Tulaja Raja (1729-35) of Thanjavur lost her eyesight in an illness and regained it after offering worship at this temple. The Maratha rulers Thulaja and Serfoji also worshiped here and renovated the temple during their rule. Over this anthill he built the Punnainallur Mariamman TempleвЂ™s present structure. The King rushed to that spot and he saw a Puttru or a white anthill. Suddenly in his dream Mariamman showed up and told him that she could be found in a forest of Punnai trees about three miles from Thanjavur. On his way he rested under the shade of a tree. He decided to go on a pilgrimage to Tiruchirapalli to visit the other powerful village goddess called Samayapuram Mariamman. The Maratha King Venkoji Maharaja Chatrapathi was a devotee of Mariamman. Venkoji dream on pilgrimage to Samayapuram: It is said that the Shakti installed in the eastern direction is now called Punnainallur Mariamman. The story goes that before waging the war, Shiva installed one of the Ashta Shaktis (eight goddesses) in each of the eight directions. Once Lord Shiva had to wage a battle against a demon called Tanjan Asuran. Lord Shiva waging Battle with Tanjan Asuran: The goddess is also called Muthu Mariamman because drops of moisture, like pearls (Tamil: pearls - Muthu) appear on the face and head of the granite statue from time to time. It is still maintained by the descendants of the royal family of Thanjavur. The seven-tiered gopuram came up recently. It was only in the 18th century that a temple was built here. Goddess Mariamman, a manifestation of Shakti, was worshipped here in the form of an anthill for a long time. The Sthala- Puranam states that, before waging a war with the demon Tanja of Tanjore, Lore Siva stationed the Ashta Saktis (eight powers) one at each of the eight directions, and the one stationed at the eastern direction is now the presiding deity of this temple. There is an important temple at Punnai nallur, 6 miles from Tanjore, dedicated to Mariamman. The temple of goddess Mariamman is one of the famous temples around Thanjavur District. Punnai Nallur Mariamman temple is a Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Punnainallur mariamman