- Timings
- 7 am to 12.30 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm
- Address
- Uthirakosamangai, Ramanathapuram 623533
- District
- Ramanathapuram
- Main festivals
- Ashada Navaratri, Aadi Fridays, Panchami
About the goddess
Varahi is worshipped as a guardian who gives courage and wards off curses and black magic. Devotees also pray to her for success in work and for blessings in family matters. At Uthirakosamangai she is shown in silver armour, and the shrine is small and intimate compared with the larger temple next door.
The turmeric ritual
The best-known custom here is a hands-on one. Devotees grind raw turmeric into paste on stones just outside the sanctum and then offer it to be applied to the goddess. The practice has been kept for generations, and many come specifically to pray for marriage and childbirth to go smoothly. You will often see rows of people grinding together, which is a memorable sight.
Mangalanatha Swamy temple
The Varahi shrine stands near the Mangalanatha Swamy temple, a very old Shiva temple known for its emerald Nataraja. Local belief holds that the Varahi shrine is as ancient as that temple, which tradition considers one of the oldest Shiva shrines. Plan time for both.
Timings and festivals
Darshan is possible between 7 am and 12.30 pm, and between 4 pm and 8 pm. Fridays in the month of Aadi, Panchami days and Ashada Navaratri bring the biggest crowds.
Getting there
The shrine is near the Uthirakosamangai bus stop. Uthirakosamangai lies in Ramanathapuram district, on the way between Ramanathapuram and Madurai, so it combines naturally with a Rameswaram trip. Dress in traditional, modest clothing, with men in a dhoti or trousers and a shirt, and women in a saree or salwar suit with a dupatta.
Also nearby
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