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 mothers, and it was believed that they would bring wealth to the family in the olden days. Ladies are seen as the Mother Goddess Shakti. A lady/ Girl who died before marriage is worshipped as a Virgin goddess. It was believed that these virgin goddesses would save the family members throughout their lives. From the evidence found from the Stone Age, structures like Dolmens/ kuththu kal, Cairn Circles with cist, and the materials found in the Cist, ladies are treated like mother goddesses. Later, they are worshipped as Kotravai. Navakanda statues are found near Kotravai, believed that men are sacrificed to these goddesses.

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 goddesses alternate with the male gods,  Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Subramaniyar, and Indiran. Later, these female goddesses are combined into to single Goddess Amman. Kotravai also changed to Durgai. A separate powerful Goddess has turned to the koshta Goddess due to the influence of the Vedic.

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

But as per Historians, these are the anthropomorphic figures erected along with 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---