US to get first Tamil goddess temple in Texas with idols made in India

TEXAS: The Tamil community in the United States is set to get its first temple dedicated to Goddess Samayapuram Mariyamman in Texas, according to the temple committee.

The temple is being modelled after the famous Samayapuram Mariyamman temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The initiative has been taken by Tharagaram Baashyam and his wife, Saraswati, originally from Chennai and currently residing in Texas. The shrine is being constructed on a 10-acre site near Lake Tawakoni.

According to the committee, the new temple will replicate not just the architectural design but also the traditional rituals of the original temple in Tamil Nadu.

The idols for the temple are being sculpted in Mamallapuram near Chennai by artisan Thiru Selvanatha Sthapathi. This is the first time that idols for an Amman temple have been commissioned for installation outside India, the committee added. Idols of Goddess Mariyamman, along with Karuppannasamy, Muneeswaran, Ayyanar, Vaazhmuni, Sorimuthu Ayyanar and Padhinettam Padi Karuppu, are being prepared.

The original Samayapuram Mariyamman temple is also renowned for its herbal clay idols, which devotees believe possess healing and protective properties.

Goddess Mariyamman is revered as a form of Adi Parashakti and worshipped widely in Tamil culture as the goddess of health, prosperity, and protection.

In Tamil tradition, the month of Aadi is dedicated to the goddess, with customs such as offering ragi porridge (koozh) and using neem leaves during rituals.

The Texas temple will preserve these traditions with cooking facilities for community offerings and large-scale ceremonies. Devotees have also likened the lake adjacent to the site to the Cauvery River, which flows near the original Samayapuram shrine.

According to the committee, the couple faced challenges in securing approvals to transport and install the idols, particularly those holding traditional weapons. With support from the Tamil community, however, the project has moved forward, though some permissions are still awaited.

Once completed, the temple is expected to become a cultural and spiritual hub for Tamils and the wider Indian diaspora in the US. It will also enable devotees who travel to Tamil Nadu every year for rituals to perform their Kuladeivam pujas locally.

A 3D design of the temple has also been proposed as part of the plan. (ANI)