Egowriamman Temple is located in Vallam town, about 12 km from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Vallam is an old historic settlement near Thanjavur, and the temple is one of the important Shakti temples worshipped by the local people for many centuries.
The presiding deity of the temple is Sri Egowri Amman, a powerful form of Goddess Parvati. The idol of the goddess is unique and very striking. She is depicted with two faces. One face appears calm and peaceful, representing compassion and protection, while the other face is fierce, symbolizing the destruction of evil.
The goddess has eight hands holding various weapons, which represent her divine power to protect devotees. A parrot is also associated with the goddess, who is traditionally connected with the form of Parvati. Beneath the feet of the goddess, a sacred chakra is installed, which represents the powerful energy of Shakti worship.
The temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old. Inscriptions found in the temple indicate that it existed during the Chola period, especially during the reign of Parantaka Chola I in the 9th and 10th centuries CE.
Later additions and renovations to the temple were carried out during the rule of the Sevappa Nayak and Achuthappa Nayak in the 16th century, when several mandapas and structural parts of the temple were constructed.
The temple follows the traditional Dravidian style of temple architecture. The temple complex has an entrance leading into a courtyard where the sanctum of Egowri Amman is situated. The sanctum houses the powerful idol of the goddess seated majestically.
Within the temple complex, there are several shrines dedicated to other deities that are traditionally associated with Amman temples. These include shrines for Vinayaka, Subramanya, Shiva Lingam, Varahi, Pratyangira Devi, Saptamatas, Naga deities, Madurai Veeran with his consorts, and Karuppasamy, who are regarded as guardian deities of the temple.
The temple has been an important spiritual centre for the people of Vallam and nearby villages for many centuries. During the Chola period, the goddess was worshipped as a powerful protector of the region. Local rulers and warriors are believed to have prayed here seeking victory and protection before going to battles.
Over the centuries, the temple continued to receive patronage from local kings and devotees and gradually became one of the well-known Shakti temples in the Thanjavur region.
According to the temple legend a powerful demon named Thanjasuran once lived in the region around Thanjavur. Through intense penance he received a boon from Lord Shiva, which made him very powerful. After gaining the boon he began troubling people and causing destruction in the region.
The devas prayed to Lord Shiva for protection. Lord Shiva then asked Goddess Gowri to destroy the demon and restore peace. The demon later assumed the form of a bull and continued his atrocities. A fierce battle took place between the goddess and the demon, and finally, the goddess destroyed him.
After the battle, the goddess remained in a very fierce state and her intense energy caused drought and suffering in the land. Lord Shiva then advised her to calm down for the welfare of the people. When the goddess finally pacified her anger, prosperity returned to the region.
From that time the people began worshipping her as Egowri Amman, who protects the land and removes difficulties of devotees.
A unique tradition of Egowriamman Temple is the distribution of lemon juice as prasadam to devotees. Lemons are offered to the goddess during special pujas, and the juice prepared from these lemons is given to devotees as sacred prasadam. Devotees believe that drinking this prasadam removes negative energy, protects from evil influences and brings relief from health problems. This practice is especially popular during Fridays and during the Aadi month festival.
The most important festival is the Aadi month festival especially the last Friday of Aadi.Other celebrations include Aadi Perukku and special prayers on Pournami and Amavasya days. Devotees also perform traditional rituals during the annual festival.
