Preparing for ‘porridge prayers’
HINDUS will perform the amman prayer from this weekend to give thanks to the Goddess Marieamman for their health and well-being.
According to spiritual leader Kriba Vayapuri, it is also referred to as the “porridge” prayer.
“The prayer is observed during the Tamil month of Aadi, which falls during July and August. The Goddess Marieamman is depicted as Mother Nature. In the Tamil language the word ‘ Marie’ means rain and ‘ amman’, mother,” he said.
HISTORY
Vayapuri said thousands of years ago there was an outbreak of measles in a village in India. “The goddess came to the aid of the villagers and nursed them back to health. She fed the villagers porridge and a mixture of turmeric and syringa leaves. When they were healed, she returned to the forest.”
He said the people in the village went looking for her and found her under a syringa tree. This encounter led her to reveal herself as the Mother of Nature.
“The goddess requested that every year at this time they gather to worship her and distribute porridge.”
PRAYER
Keeping the tradition of prayer and worship, Vayapuri said devotees prepare the porridge, which contains mealie meal, sour milk, salt, onions and shallots.
“Devotees will also prepare three separate vegetable curries and mixed vegetables. The curries, seven kinds of seeds and porridge are offered to the Mother. The seeds are then thrown for the birds to eat. The seeds are a token of appreciation for the harvest of crops and for providing people with food.”
Vayapuri said the curries and the porridge were then fed to the people.
“It is believed that when a sick person drinks the porridge, they will be healed of any ailment.
“The household members then make up food parcels to distribute to their surrounding neighbours.”