Pidari

For the village in Nepa see Pidari, Nepal.

She was referred as the snake catcher, and is one of the consorts of Shiva.

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 demons. The cult was noticed by elite literature by seventh century AD and was primarily centered in Tamil Nadu. Her cult moved on and reached a climax in eastern India between the eighth and twelfth centuries.

Iconography

This Village Goddess possesses most of the attributes of Kali. Her attributes are the cup, fire, noose, and trident. She may also have snakes coiled around her breasts.^[1]

Like most village Goddesses she may be represented by a stone. Still many Amman temples in Tamil Nadu have the suffix Pidari.

See also

• Isakki
• Sitala

References

Bibliography

• Jordan, Michael, Encyclopedia of Gods, New York, Facts On File, Inc. 1993, p. 205

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