Araikasu Amman Temple - 108 Goddess Idols

Site Name: Araikasu Amman Temple

Site Type: A Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess

Location:  Ratnamangalam, near Vandalur, near Chennai city, Tamil Nadu state, India

Highlights: A powerful village deity in the locality; 108 idols of Goddess found in the temple

Nearest Railway Station: Chennai

Nearest Airport: Chennai

How to reach: Well connected by road from Chennai

Hotel: Go to Chennai or Tambaram where there are lot of options 

Restaurants: Go to Chennai or Tambaram where there are lot of options

Ratnamangalam is a small village located near Vandalur, which is near Chennai city in South India. This locality has a temple dedicated to Araikasu, which is located near the popular Lakshmi Kubera temple. Let us explore this  temple in this article.

Highlights:

• Goddess - Araikasu Amman
• An important temple for village deity
• 108 Amman (Goddess) idols in various forms are present in this temple

Temple Layout:

Araikasu Amman Temple is a unique temple located in Ratnamangalam village near Vandalur in Chennai city. It is a temple of powerful village deity. 

The temple is small. At the entrance, a rare idol of eight armed Ganesha seated on a lion is found.

The main shrine has Araikasu Amman; she is in sitting posture and is found with four arms. Her idol is moderately big in size.

Facing the main shrine, the mount of Amman, lion and Meru mountain are located.

The wall surrounding the main shrine has the following niche idols:

• Saraswati Hayagreeva (Hayagreeva with his consort - not sure why she is called as Saraswati and not Lakshmi in this temple)
• Lakshmi and Narayana
• Swayamvara Lingam - Shakti hugging the Shiva Linga

There are two sub-shrines dedicated to Ganesha and Ayyappa.

The highlight of the temple is that there are 108 Amman (Goddess) idols that are found across the temple. They are in different forms and different postures. They are the presiding deities of different towns and villages of India and abroad.

The list of 108 Goddess idols and the towns that they represent is given below. The last idols is the main deity Arai Kasu Amman who is found in the main shrine.

1) Meenakshi - Madurai

2) 1000 armed Kali - Kolkata

3) Kottai Amman - Devakottai

4) Gnana Prasannambika - Kalahasti

5) Kanaka Durga - Vijayawada

6) Annapoorni - Kashi

7) Garba Rakshambika - Tirukarugavur

8) Muthu Pechi - Tiruneveli

9) Pachai Amman - Tirumullaivayil

10) Chamundeeswari - Mysore

11) Sengalamman - Sulurpettai

12) Padmavathi - Tiruchanur

13) Vishalakshi - Kashi

14) Ujjaini Maha Kali - Tanjore

15) Karumari Amman - Tiruverkadu
16) Chellayee Amman - Kandanur
17 - Kali - Kolkata
18) Annadana Mari - Salem
19) Muth Mari - Virudunagar
20) Raja Rajeswari - Bangalore
21) Sheetala Devi - Kudamurutti
22) Sri Chakra Devi
23) Sri Chandira Parameshwari
24) Maha Kali - Malaysia
25) Bhagavati - Chottanikkarai
26) Teedavaga - Tuljapur
27) Sri Vasiya Mukhi
28) Kalyana Mari
29) Kodi Udai Amman - Tirumullaivayil
30) Santoshi Mata - Vellore
31) Aayirathu Amman - Palayankottai
32) Durga
33) Ariya Nachi Amman - Pudukkottai
34) Kannathal - Nattarasan Kottai
35) Abirami - Tirukkadaiyur
36) Kannika Parameswari
37) Koppudai Amman - Karaikudi
38) Madura Kali - Tiruvachur
39) Angalamman - Melmalayanur
40) Vishnu Durga
41) Mookambikai - Kollur
42) Bannari Amman - Erode
43) Muthu Mari - Tyagamangalam
44) Bhavani - Periya Palayam
45) Atrukkal Bhagavati - Trivandrum
46) Durga - Patteeswaram
47) Kumari - Kanyakumari
48) Lalitha Parameswari - Tirumechur
49) Akhilandeswari - Tiruvanaikka
50) Nagathamman - Chenglepet
51) Vadivudai Amman - Tiruvottriyur
52) Sellathamman - Perambakkam
53) Veiyilu Katha Mari Amman - Tiruvaiyaru
54) Veera Makali - Arantangi
55) Punnai Nallur Mari Amman - Tanjore
56) Teppakula Mari Amman - Vandiyur
57) Raja Durgai
58) Bhuvaneswari - Pukukkottai
59) Kantimati - Tirunelveli
60) Periya Mari - Erode
61) Kamakshi - Mangadu
62) Raja Matangi
63) Mari Amman - Samayapuram
64) Kali - Chidambaram
65) Gomati - Shankaran Kovil
66) Vagula Devi - Tirupati
67) Abhida Kujambal - Tiruvannamalai
68) Mutharamman - Kulasekara Pattinam
69) Renuka - Padavedu
70) Kurangani - Muthu Malai
71) Gayatri
72) Nellukkadai Mari - Nagapattinam
73) Tiruvudai Amman - Vellore
74) Vana Durga
75) Chakkulaththukavu Devi - Tiruvalla
76) Bala Tripura Sundari - Vellore
77) Mannmani - Vettavalam
78) Vaishno Devi - Katra
79) Kola Vizhi Amman - Chennai
80) Poongavanathamman - Bhuvanagiri
81) Sri Gurukula Devi
82) Mumbayi Devi - Mumbai
83) Perattru Selvi - Tirunelveli
84) Nadi Amman - Pattukkottai
85) Periya Nayaki - Pallathur
86) Kamalambikai
87) Thandu Mari - Coimbatore
88) Shyamala Devi
89) Aindhu Veettu Kali - Arantangi
90) Isaki - Muppandal
91) Kartiyayini - Marathurai
92) Namba Nayaki - Rameswaram
93) Yezhai Mari - Puduchery
94) Jaya Kaliyambal - Uraiyur
95) Sri Nimishambal - Mysore
96) Jakkamma - Panchalankurichi
97) Ulaga Nayaki - Nanguneri
98) Periya Gaandhi - Navalur
99) Ulagaandeswari - Ottapidaram
100) Nitya Sumangali Mari Amman - Rasipuram
101) Sribagam Piriyal - Tiruvottriyur
102) Shenbaga Valli - Kovil Patti
103) Chowdeswari - Aruppukkottai
104) Sri Raja Kali - Dindigul
105) Ganga - Haridwar
106) Sharda - Sringeri
107) Mangalambikai - Tirumangalakudi
108) Araikasu Amman - Ratnamangalam

Happy travelling.