In the quaint Tamil Nadu village of Kulasekharapatnam (sometimes spelled Kulasai), 400 miles south of Chennai, a towering 300-year-old temple sits just steps from the Laccadive Sea. Inside Sri Mutharamman Temple (another name for the site) are three mandapams, or pillar-lined pavilions or halls, an architectural feature commonly found in Hindu temples across the subcontinent. Dussehra marks the hero Rama’s victory over the 10-headed demon king Ravana. Whereas Dussehra celebrates Rama’s victory, Diwali marks the hero’s return home. While Dussehra usually marks Rama’s victory, in Kulasekharapatnam, the holiday celebrates another victory: that of, the Hindu goddess Magisasura Mardini killing the buffalo-headed Magisasura.

Source: The Hindu December 05, 2023 23:04 UTC