Bannari Mariamman Temple
Arulmigu Sri Bannari Mariamman Temple is an Amman temple in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located near Sathyamangalam, Erode district.
The main deity is goddess Bannari,, an avatar of goddess Shakti. The goddess is considered powerful in Tamil and Kannada folklore. Nearly every village in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu has a Mariamman temple.
History
According to the official publication of the Arulmigu Bannari Mariamman Temple, the temple’s origin dates back to a period when the region was dense forest inhabited by wild animals. Local herders who grazed cattle in the area observed that one of their cows regularly released milk at a particular spot beneath a Vengai tree. When the people cleared the site to investigate, they discovered a self-manifested form of Goddess Mariamman.Over time, the shrine developed into a major temple and became one of the most prominent Mariamman temples in South India. The official temple history does not include the washerman/Vannar legend commonly repeated in popular retellings; these are not part of the HR&CE-verified records.