Origin story
Mariamman is honoured as the goddess who cools the heat of summer and wards off epidemics. Her shrines stand at the edge of the village, where she guards the settlement, and her festivals include the carrying of pots of fire and water.
The trident, the pot of water and the neem leaves express protection, healing and coolness. Widely worshipped in Tamil Nadu, she is also honoured in the Tamil-speaking border regions of Palakkad and Idukki, where her worship blends into the local Bhagavathi tradition.
Source: Wikipedia: Mariamman — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamman
