Draupadi Amman (Tamil:திரௌபதி அம்மன்) (Devanagari:द्रौपदि अम्मन्) (IAST: droupadi amman) is a goddess from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, namely Draupadi. Draupadi, along with Aravan (Kuttandavar), is the primary deity of the Vanniyar people. Draupadi was the wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahābhārata. She is also greatly believed to be the incarnation of Hindu goddess Kali.
As a village deity
The Draupadi Amman cult (or Draupadi sect) is a regional Hindu sect in which the Pillais, Vanniyars, Konars, Yadavas and the Mudaliyar communities worship Draupadi Amman as a village goddess with unique rituals and mythologies.[1][2]
Incarnation of Kali
The Pillais, Vanniyars, Mudaliyars, Konars and the Gounder community of Tamil Nadu, [1][2] and the Tigala community (vannikula kshatriyas) of Karnataka believe Draupadi Amman as an incarnation of Adi Parashakti and as their household goddess (kuladevi) of their communities. There are many temples in South Indian villages dedicated to Draupadi Amman, observing annual festivals. One of the popular temples of Sri Dharmarayaswamy- Draupadi temple is at Thigarapete, the heart of Bengaluru, Karnataka. [citation needed].
Fire Walking ritual
Fire walking or Thimithi is a popular ritual enacted at the Draupadi Amman temples. [3]
Location
There are a number of temples dedicated to Draupadi Amman in Tamil Nadu, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
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The reclining Draupadi Amman idol holding a bowl in one of her four hands -
View from feet of the reclining Draupadi Amman idol near Auroville. -
Reclining Draupadi Amman idol - near Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India -
Giant reclining Draupadi Amman idol near Auroville.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alf hiltebeitel, ed. (2008). The Cult of Draupadi. Mythologies from Gingee to kurukserta, Volume 1. University of Chicago. p. 32.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kathleen Gough, ed. (2008). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge. p. 360.
- ↑ Hitebeital (1991)
References/ Articles/ Blogs
- Hiltebeitel, Alf (1991). The Cult Of Draupadi Mythologies:From Gingee To Kuruksetra. Vol. 1. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1000-6.
- Pattanaik, Devadutt (2009). 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art. Westland, Mumbai. ISBN 978-81-89975-67-8.
- Draupadi Amman Shrine/ Temple - KONDAL, Mayiladuthurai, TN.
- Visit http://blog.thitherwards.com/draupadi/ for more details.
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