Pidari
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Pidari also Pitari or Pidari Amman, is a goddess popular amongst relatively un-sanskritized social groups of Tamil nadu.
She was referred as the snake catcher, and in Brahminic literature equated with one of the consorts of Shiva, and as a benevolent goddess.
The cult of Pitari evolved as a synthesis of native mother goddess with an aspect of the goddess Kali and is invoked in many villages to ward off evil and demon. The cult was noticed by elite literature by seventh century AD and was primarily centered in Tamil Nadu.
She possesses most of the attributes of Kali, and may also have snakes around her breasts, but may also be represented by a stone. Her cult moved on and reached a climax in eastern India between the eighth and twelfth centuries.
Her attributes are the cup, fire, noose, and trident. She is also known as Pitali and Kali-Pidari. Still many Amman temples in Tamil Nadu have the suffix Pidari.
[edit] References
- Jordan, Michael, Encyclopedia of Gods, New York, Facts On File, Inc. 1993, p. 205
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa |  |
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