Southern India
Andhra Pradesh
Atop the Peruru Banda mountain, Vakula Devi's ancient shrine serves as Lord Venkateswara's foster mother. One of the revered 18 Maha Shakti Pithas, the Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple in Srisailam district, is home to Bhramaramba, a manifestation of Durga. Puruhutika resides in the Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple, a renowned Maha Shakti Pitha in the Pithapuram region. Another renowned Maha Shakti Pitha is of goddess Manikyamba, located at the Bhimeswara Temple in East Godavari.
Chengalamma, reigns over Sullurpeta, while Sahasrakshi graces the Visakhapatnam temple with her consort Kameshwara. Peddintlamma, also called Perrantalu, in Kolletikota, Verdatchamma, a form of Durga, at a small island in the Cumbum irrigation tank, and Kanaka Durga on the Indrakeeladri hill. Some examples of Gramadevis include Nookalamma, Paidamma, Nidaanampati Sri Lakshmi Ammavarui, and Aretamma. While, Poleramma, Bangaramma, and Pochamma are regional deities that protect from disease and drought. Mathamma is a local deity associated with the tradition of “offering” girl children to Goddesses, which is practiced by the Madiga community. Bandlamma is a local deity of carts worshipped in Chandaluru village.
Vasavi Parameswari is the caste goddess for the Arya Vyshya, Kalinga Vaishya, Arava Vysyier, Marathi Vaishya, Beri Vysya, and Trivarnika Vysya communities. She is known for promoting peace and averting warfare. While Sunama Jakini Matha was a woman in the Are-Katika community who was buried alive. and now she is worshipped as a goddess by the Are-Katika community. Her icons are depicted with two hands in Abhaya and Varada mudra, and a trident beside her. Her temple is located in Anantapur district. These two deities are examples of Heroine worship among the regional community of the state. Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari is a Hindu deity who is predominantly worshiped by the Andhra Pradesh Komati group. Her devotees primarily regard her as the virgin form of Parvathi, while she is sometimes acknowledged as a form of Lakshmi.
Karnataka
In Karnataka, a diverse pantheon of native goddesses rules. Each has a special significance and is highly regarded by the local communities. Among them is Gangamma Devi, a revered goddess in Bangalore who is considered the sister of Lord Venkateswara, an avatar of Vishnu, and the presiding deity of the Tirupati temple. The Banashankari Temple in the Bagalkot district is dedicated to Banashankari who was the Kuladevi of the Badami Chalukya Kings in the seventh century. On the other hand, Chowdeshwari has followers in the weaver's communities, including Anekere Maaramma, the revered Gramadevi of Anekere village, and Ramalinga Sowdeswari Amman, the Kuladevi of the Devanga community. As a manifestation of Tripura Sundari, Jnaneshwari is revered by the Smartha sect of the Daivajna community. In Sirsi, Marikamba is celebrated as an eight-armed form of Durga, whereas Mangaladevi governs as the city of Mangalore.
In Belgaum, there are temples dedicated to the local goddesses Chikkumbasura and Hirekumbasura. Bhimambika Devi, a former saint who is now revered as a goddess in the Gadag District. Other goddesses include Udusalamma Devi in Dwaralu, Mayakka Devi in Chinchali village, Muttinamma Devi, a local form of Lakshmi, in Bengaluru, Yadugiri Nachiyar in Mandya District, Kudroli Bhagavathi in Mangalore, Durgaparameshwari in Ullanje, Karikaan Parameshwari in Honnavar, Honnadevi in Shivagange and Huchamma Devi in Yelekere. Maisamma is a rural goddess associated with diseases such as smallpox and chickenpox. Kolaramma is the presiding deity of Kolar town and Chelamma is a scorpion goddess and is worshipped along with Kolaramma in Kolar.
Mookambika is a regional representation of Adi Parashakti worshipped in the South Indian States. She is depicted with four arms, carrying a conch shell and Sudarshana Chakra in her upper hands, and in her lower hands in Abhaya and Varada Mudras. She is seated on an altar with the Swayambu lingam or head of Renuka below her legs. The two flags on her throne have the sun and moon motifs and a Kirtimukha, a swallowing fierce monster, is resided in the center of the arch. Rakteswari is a form of the goddess Durga, who is worshipped in Parshurama Kshetras and is the tutelary deity of Tulu Nadu, a proposed state on the southwestern coast between the states of Karnataka and Kerala.
Telangana
Jogulamba's temple is one of the eight Maha Shakti Peethas. She is depicted seated throne or corpse with a scorpion, frog, and lizard on her head. Her tongue stretched outside. Goddess Saraswati has her prominent temples located on the banks of the river Godavari in Nirmal District and in Wargal village of Siddipet district. Choudamma, along with Sri Lingamanthula Swamy, an Incarnation of Lord Shiva, is honored at the Peddagattu Jathara festival. The goddess is thought to be Sri Lingamanthula Swamy's sister. The temple Bhadrakali, located on a hilltop between the cities of Hanamkonda and Warangal, is one of the oldest Bhadrakali temples. Muthyalamma is another regional goddess, considered an incarnation of Parvathi. She is worshipped in Telangana and the neighboring states. The name Peddamma means 'Mother of Mothers' in Sanskrit is the main Gramadevi. Her primary shrine is at Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills.
Kerala
An extensive number of local deities add to Kerala's cultural landscape along with numerous regional forms of Durga and Bhadrakali. Chakkulathukavu Devi, a form of Durga, is worshipped in Alappuzha District along with Chettikulangara Devi, Helapuram Devi, Mullakkal Devi, Manakkattu Devi, and Vettikulangara Devi. The goddess Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy, in Kannur district, is revered as the mother of the ancient martial art Kalarippayattu, and Chottanikkara Bhagavathy, a form of Mahalakshmi, is worshipped in Chottanikkara, a southern suburb of the city of Kochi. Mridanga Shaileshwari is a form of Vishnu Durga worshipped in Kannur district. Nethalloor Devi, another form of Vishnu Durga depicted with her lower right hand in Varada mudra instead of Abhaya mudra, has her er temple located in Kottayam district. Kumaranalloor Temple in Kottayam, Chengannur Bhagawati Temple in Chengannur, and Chembukkavu Devi in Thrissur City are considered one of the most important Devi temples among the 108 Durgalayas (Durga temples) in Kerala. Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi in Angadipuram District, Kodungallur Bhagavati in Thrissur District, Konganam Bhadrakali in Konganam, and Attukal Bhagavathy, Amunthirathu Devi, and Palakkavu Bhagwathi in Thiruvananthapuram district, are some regional forms of Bhadrakali. Mannarasala Shri Nagaraja Temple
The ancient temple of Mayathi Devi is located in Balanthode in Kasaragode district. She is depicted as four-armed, carrying a conch and discus, and lowers her hands in Abhaya and Varada mudra. Kannaki Amman is the deity form of Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram. She is worshipped in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala as the goddess of chastity, rain, and fertilization. Valayanad Devi's temple is located in Kozhikode district. She is the goddess of the Zamorin Kings, who ruled Kozhikode in the medieval period. As per a legend, Kadakkal Devi, a regional goddess, came from Tamil Nadu with her three sisters. Kadakkal Devi settled in Peedika (a small trade shop made of wood) in Kadakkal, and her sisters, Anchal Devi, Karavalur Devi, and Kariyara Devi settled in Anchal, Karavalur, and Kariyara, respectively. The four temples are called Peedikayil Bhagavathy Temples.
Padiyanoor Devi, Palkulangara Devi, Karikkakom Devi, Mukkolakkal Bhagavati, Pazhanchira Devi, and Panchami Devi are some other goddesses worshipped in Thiruvananthapuram. Puttingal Devi, Pulimukham Devi, and Puttingal Devi have their temples in Kollam district. Paramekkavu Bhagavathi, Panakkattodil Devi, and Laloor Bhagavathy in Thrissur City. Mangottu Bhagwathi and Malayalappuzha Devi are sister goddesses, worshiped in the Palakkad district. Malayalappuzha Devi, Orippurathu Bhagavathy, Maalikapurathamma, and Panayannarkavu Devi have their temples in Pathanamthitta.
The Manakkattu Devi temple in Pallippad, Porkali Bhagavathi in Pathippalam, Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy in Palappuram district, Nalukulangara Maha Devi in Thuravoor Thekku, Thannikkal Devi in Enadimangalam, Sarkara Devi in Chirayinkeezhu, Thanikkudam Devi in Thanikkudam, Karthyayani Devi in Cherthala, Nalukulangara Maha Devi in Thuravoor Thekku, Sarkaradevi in Attingal, Kadampuzha Bhagavath in Malappuram district, Kuttikkattu Devi in Kottayam, Meenkulathi Bhagavathi in Pallassena, Aryankuzhi Devi in Trivandrum district, Kanichukulangara Devi in Kanichukulangara, Puthiyakavu Devi in Ponkunnam, Chitturkavu Devi in Chittur Thathamangalam, Cheruvallikkavu Bhadra Bhagavathi in Thiruvalla and are some other examples of regional goddesses in Kerala.
Tamil Nadu
Kamakshi Amman is a form of Lalitha Tripurasundari and one of the most prominent deities in South India. She is depicted seated in Padmasana and holds a sugarcane bow and a bunch of five flowers with a parrot resting on it in the lower two of her hands, and a lasso and goad in her upper two hands. Temple is located in the city of Kanchipuram. (Read: Shakti Peethas) Akilandeswari is a regional deity and is considered an aspect of the Adi Parashakti. She is the presiding deity in the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikovil with her consort Jambukeswarar, an incarnation of Shiva. Ayur Devi, regarded as the Empress of the Universe, is another regional deity considered an aspect of the Adi Parashakti. She is shown seated on a swan on a base of two lions. She has an odd number of hands. She offers seats to seven great Siddhas or Saptarishi in seven hands, one left hand carrying a kalasha and the ninth right hand in Abhaya mudra. Meenakshi is a goddess of love and fertility who is worshipped mostly in Tamil Nadu and other southern part of India. She is worshipped together with her consort Sundareswara, a form of Shiva, and is generally depicted with two hands, the lift hand is in katakahasta with a flower, and the right hand is in dola-hasta. Parrot is shown seated on the flower. In the Madurai temple in Madurai city, she is depicted with three breasts.
Mariamman is the principal South Indian goddess who cures diseases like cholera, smallpox, and chickenpox. She is also the protector goddess of many communities. She is generally portrayed in a sitting position with four or eight arms, holding different attributes that change with idols of the different temples. Kateri Amman, often represented in a black sari and carrying a sword or trident, is a folk goddess who is also associated with the cure of diseases. Her temple is located in Thumpaipatti. Karumari Amman, another goddess associated with Mariamman, is the goddess of rain and cure and has her temple located in Tiruverkadu.
Andal, also called Godadevi, is an important goddess in Vaishnism in South India associated with love and devotion and is considered an incarnation of Lakshmi. She is represented standing with two hands, her right hand is in katakana-hasta with a lotus and a parrot seated on it, and her left hand is in dola-hasta. Andal can be distinguished by her hair which is bunned to the right side of her head. Kanya Kumari, also called Shree Baala, is Parvati in the form of an adolescent girl or virgin goddess. Kanyakumari Temple located in Kanya Kumari town, is one of the 52 Shakti Pithas. She is depicted with two hands, carrying a rosary in her right hand and her left-hand touching her garland. Muthumari Amman is worshiped as a virgin deity. Her iconography is very similar to Karumari Amman but she is depicted in a standing position. Her temple is located in Sivaganga district.
Isakki Amman is a village deity portrayed as a woman holding a child and a bowl in her left hand and right hand holding a trident or in Abhaya mudra. Her shrines are decorated with a cactus-like plant known as paalkalli. Periyachi Amman is another ferocious aspect of the goddess associated with the protection of children. She is depicted with eight arms, holding weapons and a child, and seated with her feet on the disemboweled king. She carries a trident, noose, damaru, sword, and a vessel filled with blood. Her two front hands are shown ripping open the abdomen and womb of the queen, who lies on her lap and is chewing the queen’s intestines. Two of her hands hold the intestines and the king’s evil child is held aloft in another hand.
Gangai Bhagavathi Temple is located in Gudiyatham and the origin of the goddess is associated with Renuka Devi. There are various temples of Gangai Amman in South India. The Temple located in the Mandaikadu district is dedicated to Mandaikadu Bhagavathi who is also linked with Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy text of Ayyavazhi, a Hindu Sect. The Vanabathrakali Amman Temple in Coimbatore pays respect to a regional type of Kali. The Pachaiamman Temple in Chennai reveals a verdant-hued goddess with four arms, whereas the Angala Parameswari or Ankalamma, a fearsome guardian deity, has devotion throughout Tamil Nadu and neighboring regions. The Ottathil Kochu Mandaikadu Bhadrakali Temple is a revered temple that surrounds Tamil Nadu with a form of Bhadrakali, whereas Anaimalai's Masani Amman Temple has a reclining goddess. The Kulavilakku Amman Temple in Modakurichi Erode District depicts a four-armed goddess defeating a demon, whereas Periapalayam's Bhavani Amman has four arms and carries a chakra, conch shell, sword, and bowl. Chellandi Amman is a folk goddess referred to as a snake catcher. She is depicted with a snake coiled around her breasts. Her attributes are fire, cup, noose, and trident.
A temple located in Thoothukudi district is dedicated to Goddess Muththaramman and Swami Gnanamoorthiswarar Vigraham. Bommi and Vellaiyammal are the consort of Madurai Veeran, a Tamil folk deity popular in southern Tamil Nadu. Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandava, is worshipped as an incarnation of Mariamman in Tamil Nadu, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. In Draupati Amman temple in Tamil Nadu, she is depicted as a four-armed reclining goddess. Korravai is the goddess of war, fertility, agriculture, and hunters in Tamil traditions. She is the form of Parvati the mother of Kartikeya. Her mount is a blackbuck but she is often depicted as Mahishasuramardini. Pidari is one of the consorts of Shiva and is referred to as the snake catcher. Her cult originated in Tamil Nadu in the 7th century AD.
The Thillai Kali Temple in Chidambaram depicts Kali as having four heads, but the Kunguma Kali Amman in Karur portrays Kali as having four hands and clutching a trident, noose, damru, and a vessel filled with blood. Thottichiamman, a village deity, is another form of Kali worshipped in the state. The Koottalumoodu Amman Temple at Kootalumoodu caps the tableau with an eight-handed deity. Some other shrines are the Gomathi Amman Temple in Tenkasi, the Kondathu Kaliamman Temple in Erode, Koniamman's Temple in Coimbatore, Poongundra Nayaki Amman's Temple in Mahibalanpatti, Koppudai Amman's temple in Thumpaipatti, the Gowmariamman Temple in Veerapandi, the Kulumai Amman temple in Tiruchirappalli, and the Malaiarasi Amman Temple in Nedumaram.
Sri Lanka
Kanakampikai Amman is the guardian goddess of the Vanni region and is the chief deity of the coastal folk, while Pattini Devi is a guardian deity in Sri Lankan Buddhism and Sinhalese people. She is also worshipped by Hindus as Kannaki Amman. Shankari Devi's Temple is located in Trincomalee and is one of the Shakti Peethas. Nagapooshani Amman's temple is on the island of Nainativu and Mathumai Ambal's shrine is in Koneswaram Temple, in Trincomalee District, are some other abode of regional goddess in Sri Lanka.
