அருள்மிகு புன்னைநல்லூர் மாரியம்மன் கோயில், தஞ்சாவூர்Arulmigu Punnainallur Mariamman Temple, Thanjavur

Sthala Mahātmyam

The Punnainallur Mariamman Temple, about 6 km from Thanjavur, is one of the region's most beloved Amman shrines. Its origin is dated to about 1680: the Maratha king Venkoji (Ekoji) of Thanjavur, on pilgrimage to Samayapuram, was told by Mariamman in a dream that she dwelt in a grove of punnai trees near his capital. Rushing to the spot, he recovered the image from the forest and built a temple, giving the place its name Punnainallur, the good town of punnai trees. The Goddess was originally worshipped as a termite mound (puttru); the sage Sadasiva Brahmendra is said to have shaped the mound into the form of Mariamman and installed a powerful Chakra before her. Later Maratha rulers Tulaja and Serfoji worshipped and renovated the temple. Mariamman here is revered for curing ailments and granting vows, and Fridays — especially in the Tamil month of Aadi — draw great crowds.