Anthropomorphic Figures / Sculptures / Mother Goddess worship - Thai Deiva Vazhipadu / தாய் தெய்வ வழிபாடு , Mottur, Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

28^th July 2018.

In India  especially in Tamil Nadu, ladies are treated as mother and it was believed that they will bring wealth to the family in olden days. Ladies are seen as the Mother Goddess Shakti. A lady/ Girl died before the marriage are worshiped as Virgin goddess. It was believed that these virgin Goddess will save the family members throughout their life. From the evidences found from the stone age, structures like Dolmens/ kuthu kal, Cairn Circles with cist and the materials found in the Cist, ladies are treated like mother goddess. Latter they are worshiped as Kotravai. Navakanda statues are found near Kotravai, believed that men's are scarified themselves to these Goddess.

The above Nattar Goddess ( கிராம தனி தெய்வங்கள் ) are replaced by Saptha  kanniyar or Saptha mathas ( சப்த மாதர் ) during Vedic period via, Brahmi, Maheswari, Kowmari, Vaishnavi, Vaarahi, Indrani and Samundi. These female goddess are the alternate to the male gods,  Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Subramaniyar and Indiran. Latter These female goddess are combined together in to single Goddess as Amman. Kotravai also changed as Durgai. A separate power full Goddess has turned to Koshta Goddess due to influence of Vedic.

During stone age, in memory of the woman deceased, monuments are erected in the form of Menhir/ kuthu kal and in some cases like statues of woman in standing posture are erected near the Dolmens or near the cist. The photo given below shows one such menhir/ kuthu kal at Mottur, a village on the banks of river Pennai in Thiruvannamalai district erected near a Cist. It was told that similar Menhirs / Kuthu kal ( குத்துக் கல் ) are found in Andhra Pradesh, looks like woman with all parts ( head, breast etc,. ). This area was a burial ground during stone age. Most of the Cairn Circles available in the area are found in disturbed condition. This kuthu kal also called as visiri Kal ( விசிறி கல் ). As per the experts, this might be more than 2500 years old.  Once in a year during Tamil Month Aadi, local people sacrifice goat, pic and cock to this Kuthukal.

But as per Historians, these are the anthropomorphic figures erected along with cairn Cairn circles. 

LOCATION: lat: 12 deg 8' 17.71"  long 78 deg 50' 4.10"

 Disturbed Cairn Circles

 Disturbed Cairn Circles

Disturbed Cairn Circles

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---