Adhi Mariamman Temple

The Adhi Mariamman Temple is located in South Kannanore and is dedicated to Mariamman. Thousands of years ago, this region was overgrown with thorn bushes. One day when a shepherd was passing the place, he heard a girl child saying that she was there. He gathered some locals and looked everywhere for the girl until they realized that the voice had come from an ant-hill. They understood that it was the voice of Shakti informing them of her presence there. They built a temple in the space and began to worship her. Once during the Thai Poosam celebrations, they took the Goddess to the Kollidam river. On their way back to the temple, they placed the palanquin under a Neem tree to take a break. When they tried to lift it again, they couldn't. A little girl from the crowd who was possessed by the Goddess informed them that She wished to stay in that spot. During the Vijayanagara rule, a handful of sand was brought from the river Cauvery and a temple was built. This temple was called the Kannapuram Mariamman temple. Though the temple for Shakthi was in Kannanore, She was referred to as Samayapuram Mariamman to honour Her place of origin.