Temple Description

About 5 miles from the Mangaladevi Temple in Mangalore, Karnataka, India, lies the Mariyamma Temple in Boloor, India, which is devoted to the goddess Mariyamma. Mariyamma and Mangaladevi are thought to have been sisters. Dasara is a major celebration observed there, along with great celebrations of Chandika Yag, Vishesha Hoovina Pooje, and Rashipooje last week in April.

In Mangalore city, Mariyamma Temple is almost 5 kilometers away from Mangaladevi Temple. Goddess Mariyamma is this temple’s principal deity. About 800 years ago, the Mogaveera community constructed this shrine in honor of the devout Goddess Mariyamma. Mariyamma and Mangaladevi are thought to have been sisters.[1] Another name for Mariyamma is the goddess of wealth. Dasara and the yearly Maari puja are the two main holidays observed there.[2]

The story of the Goddess appearing in the dreams of a Mogaveera resident in Urwa, inside the limits of Mangalore, and requesting a place to live nearby led to the construction of a temple dedicated to the goddess. The Mogaveeras have a special way of thanking this goddess. One of the oldest and most well-known temples in the area, and the beloved goddess of the Mogaveeras, they craft gold jewelry in the shape of various fish and the deity if adorned with them. Together, they sell fish-shaped gold pendants and necklaces, including “bangude sara” (mackerel necklace), “bhutayi sara” (sardine necklace), “seegadi sara” (prawn necklace), and “maanji sara.”