Uchchini Makali

Uchchini Makali - every village....every street in the towns and cities of southern Tamil Nadu has a temple for her. Tirunelveli, renowned as a hub for numerous village deities, is no exception. It is nearly impossible to traverse 500 meters without encountering a temple dedicated to her.

The folklore surrounding Uchchini Makali unfolds as follows: Devas (celestial beings) and Asuras joined forces to acquire the elixir of immortality, known as amrita, from the milky ocean. They employed Mandara Mountain as a churning rod and Vasuki, the serpent, as the rope. However, during the process, a deadly poison named "halahala" emerged before the elixir. This venom possessed immense fatality, causing all beings it touched to perish swiftly. Lord Shiva took on the responsibility of consuming this lethal poison. As He drank the poison, it began to spread within his body. In great concern over the rapidly spreading poison, his consort Parvati skillfully halted its progress by containing it in his throat. Consequently, Shiva acquired a blue throat and came to be known as Neelkantha. However, due to the poison's presence, Shiva could neither swallow it nor vomit it out, for it would endanger the world. Therefore, Parvati struck Shiva's head, causing the poison to manifest in the form of a female deity. This deity emerged from the top of Shiva's head, known as Uchchi in Tamil, and was named Uchchini Makali.

Parvati embraced her as her own daughter and bestowed numerous blessings upon her. Eventually, Uchchini Makali appeared in the dream of King Vikramaditya, who then constructed a temple in her honor. It is believed that those who worship Uchchini Makali are protected from heat-related diseases.

Additionally, it is believed that Ujjain Ma Kali has transformed into Uchchi Ma Kali.

In Tirunelveli, one can discover Uchchi Ma Kali temples at every turn. These temples are usually modest in size, featuring a single shrine. Uchchi Ma Kali is depicted in a seated posture, with her right leg hanging down. She possesses four arms, holding a damaru and noose in her upper arms, and a trident and skull cup in her lower arms. The weapons she holds may vary in different representations.

Happy travelling.