Draupati Amman

Draupati Amman is a goddess from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, namely Draupadi, primarily worshipped by the Tamil people of India, Sri Lanka and other countries. Draupati was the wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahābhārata epic. She is also greatly believed to be the incarnation of Hindu goddess Mariamman.

Draupati Amman
Fire and Child Boon
Draupati Amman idol in Udappu, Sri Lanka
AffiliationPancha Kanya
MantraOm mahasacaktyai sa vitmahe Vanni tehayai sa timahi Pracotayat tanno panchali
Personal information
ConsortPandavas
ChildrenUpapandavas (sons), Pragiti (daughter), Shutanu (daughter)

As village deity

The Draupati Amman cult (or Draupati sect) is a regional Hindu tradition in which Mudaliar, Vanniyar , Konar, Gounder community people worship Draupati Amman as a village goddess with unique rituals and mythologies.[1][2]

There are many shrines for Goddess Draupadi, spread in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. One of the shrines, where She is a Grama-Devatha and Kula-Devatha to many, is located in one of the small villages of Tamil Nadu.

The village is named Kondal, Mayiladuthurai Taluk, Nagapattinam District, Nidur P.O, Tamil Nadu.

Incarnation of Kali

There is popular belief in South India that Draupadi was also an incarnation of Maha Kali, who was born to assist Lord Krishna (who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is the brother of Goddess Parvati) to destroy all the arrogant Kings of India. That is why they are considered brother and sister although they were not born from the same mother. As she is Goddess Kali's incarnation, she is worshipped as a goddess. Being the sister of Lord Krishna, she is akin to the goddess Subhadra

Mudaliar, Vanniyar , Konar, Gounder community of Tamil Nadu[1][2] and Tigala community of Karnataka believe Draupadi Devi as Adi Shakti and Kul Devi of their communities. There are many temples in south Indian villages dedicated to Draupadi amman observing annual festivals. One of popular temples of Sri Dharmarja- Draupadi temple is at Corporation, heart of Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Fire walking ritual
A father walking on fire with his child during the annual Hindu festival at the Draupati Amman temple in Udappu
See also: Udappu

Fire walking or theemithi is a popular ritual enacted at Draupati Amman temples.[3]

Location

There are number of temples dedicated to Draupati Amman in Tamil Nadu, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

  • Draupati holding a bowl in one of her four hands
  • View from feet of the goddess near Auroville.
  • Reclining Draupati's head - near Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Giant reclining Draupati as village goddess near Auroville.

Footnotes
  1. Alf hiltebeitel, ed. (2008). The Cult of Draupadi. Mythologies from Gingee to kurukserta, Volume 1. University of Chicago. p. 32.
  2. Kathleen Gough, ed. (2008). Rural Society in Southeast India. Cambridge. p. 360.
  3. Hitebeital (1991)

References/ Articles/ Blogs
  • Hiltebeitel, Alf (1991). The Cult Of Draupadi Mythologies:From Gingee To Kuruksetra. 1. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1000-6.
  • Pattanaik, Devadutt (2009). 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art. Westland, Mumbai. ISBN 978-81-89975-67-8.
  • Draupadi Amman Shrine/ Temple - KONDAL, Mayiladuthurai, TN.
  • Visit http://blog.thitherwards.com/draupadi/ for more details.
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