Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Mariamman (Punnainallur Mariamman) temple · Punnainallur (Mariamman Kovil), near Thanjavur, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
The Punnainallur Mariamman Temple stands at Punnainallur, on the eastern outskirts of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, and is popularly called the Thanjavur Mariamman Kovil. The village around it is itself widely known as Mariamman Kovil. The 1961 Census survey of the temples of Thanjavur district describes it as a shrine that draws devotees from across the district throughout the year.
The goddess is Mariamman, a form of the Mother widely worshipped in Tamil Nadu. The temple is one of the shrines of the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam, the group of temples linked with the former Maratha rulers of Thanjavur, and Wikipedia records that these temples are administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
According to the 1961 Census survey, the image of the goddess is made of sand over an anthill and is covered with a silver kavacham (armour). A shrine of Durga stands to the right of the main sanctum, facing north. The neem (vembu) is the temple's sacred tree, and its sacred water is given as the Mani Muktha Nadhi (the Vadavar river). Sundays are regarded as the most auspicious days for worship, and the survey noted that large numbers of women and children came on that day.
Devotional practices recorded by the survey include vows taken by people affected by smallpox, such as keeping water in the shrine as a sign of cooling, offerings of salt, and the mixing of jaggery into the temple tank. These are traditional vows and beliefs of devotees. There is also a separate shrine for Pechi Amman.
The temple's festival has long been one of the largest in the district. The Tanjore District Gazetteer of 1906 noted that the Mariamman festival at Mariammankovil near Tanjore drew a crowd of some 20,000 people each year, in August and September.
Heritage
History of Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Several traditional accounts describe how the temple began. According to the story recorded in the 1961 survey, the Maratha king Venkoji (Ekoji) of Thanjavur, returning from a pilgrimage to Rameswaram, stayed at the Samayapuram Mariamman temple near Tiruchirappalli and dreamt that the goddess asked him to build her a proper temple in a forest of punnai trees near his capital. The goddess here came to be known as Punnainallur Mariamman.
Another tradition tells that the daughter of King Tulaja (Thuljaji) had very poor eyesight and that, after he prayed at this shrine with her, her sight was restored. According to the story, the grateful king renovated the temple and the saint Sadasiva Brahmendra, who was passing through, placed a yantra (sacred diagram) beneath the image and consecrated it. The king is also said to have granted the village of Mariambalpuram, now Pandaravadai in Papanasam taluk, to the temple. These are legends rather than recorded history.
Wikipedia, citing a 2004 souvenir of the temple, states that a small structure was built during the reign of Tulaja (1727-1735 CE) and that Serfoji II (1798-1832 CE) added the mahamandapa, the dance hall (narthana mandapa), the gopuram and the second inner prakara and held a consecration (kumbhabhishekam); later consecrations took place in 1950 and on 6 June 1987. The 1961 survey adds that Thanjavur kings endowed the temple with large grants of land and that the entrance of an underground passage, said to have been built so that the royal family could reach the shrine from the palace, can still be seen behind the temple.
Architecture and sacred features
The 1961 survey describes an east-facing temple of about one acre with three prakarams (enclosures) and a rajagopuram about 90 feet high, which it notes was comparatively recent. The halls include the ardhamandapa, mahamandapa, narthanamandapa, dhwajamandapa, alankaramandapa and Thirumalaipathi mandapa, and the Sukravara mandapa in front of the goddess's shrine has carved pillars.
The survey also mentions paintings of eight forms of Lakshmi (Ashta Lakshmi) in the temple, and an image of the saint Sri Padahacheri Swamigal, credited with a renovation of the temple, in the prakaram behind the sanctum.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple is an active place of worship and is especially crowded on Sundays and during the Avani festival season. Dress modestly, follow the instructions of temple staff about photography and queues, and confirm current darshan timings and festival dates with the temple office or the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam, under the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Brahmotsavam (annual festival)
Described by the 1961 Census survey as the most important festival of the temple; the 1906 Tanjore Gazetteer recorded that the festival drew some 20,000 pilgrims.
Float festival (Theppam)
An annual float festival recorded by the 1961 Census survey.
Location
How to Reach Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
Punnainallur lies about five kilometres east of Thanjavur, and Wikipedia gives the temple as about 5 km from the Thanjavur old bus stand. Town buses run between Thanjavur and Punnainallur at regular intervals, according to both the 1961 survey and Wikipedia.
Thanjavur is the nearest town and railway junction; check current bus and train services locally before travelling.
Location: Punnainallur (Mariamman Kovil), near Thanjavur, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest railway station: Thanjavur
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Mariamman (Punnainallur Mariamman) temples · Temples in Kadakadappai · Temples in Thanjavur Taluk · Temples in Thanjavur District
Questions
Punnainallur Mariamman Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Punnainallur Mariamman Temple?
It is at Punnainallur, also called Mariamman Kovil, about five kilometres east of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.
What is special about the image of the goddess?
According to the 1961 Census survey, the image of Mariamman is made of sand over an anthill and is covered with a silver kavacham.
Who built the Punnainallur Mariamman Temple?
Traditions link the temple to the Maratha kings of Thanjavur. Wikipedia, citing a temple souvenir, says a small shrine was built under Tulaja (1727-1735 CE) and that Serfoji II added the gopuram, halls and inner prakara.
What is the connection with Sadasiva Brahmendra?
According to tradition, the saint Sadasiva Brahmendra placed a yantra beneath the goddess and consecrated the temple at the request of King Tulaja.
When is the main festival?
The Brahmotsavam falls in the Aadi-Avani season (August-September), and a float festival is held in Purattasi (September-October).
Who manages the temple?
It belongs to the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam, whose temples Wikipedia records as administered by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department.
Sources and attribution
- Census of India 1961 (Madras), via Internet Archive — Temples of Tamil Nadu (Temples of Madras State), Vol. VII part 1: Thanjavur district, pp. 284-287 'Punnainallur, Sri Mariamman Temple'
- Madras District Gazetteers (F. R. Hemingway, 1906), via Internet Archive — Tanjore (district gazetteer)
- Wikipedia — Punnainallur Mariamman Temple
- Wikidata — Punnainallur Mariamman (Q7260454)
Further reading: Punnainallur Mariamman Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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