Poochoriyal means sprinkling or showering of flowers and is
an important festival at the Samayapuram
Mariamman Temple
The festival is unique and highly auspicious as no other
abhishekam is performed on the main deity in the temple as it is made of sand clay.
More than 100,000 devotees visit the temple during the
period to have a darshan of the deity taking a shower of flowers.
The festival is spread over four Sundays during the month of
Maasi and Panguni. The festival begins on the last Sunday in Maasi month. This
is the Sunday starting from the first week of March.
During the festival, Mother Goddess Mariamman undertakes a
fast for 28 days for the wellbeing of her devotees. During these 28 days cooked
food will not be offered as naivediyam, to the deity.
During the 28 days rice flour, tender coconut, sugar candy, jaggery,
water, butter milk are offered as naivediyam and then it is distributed as
Prasadam to devotees.