Andaman and Nicobar island, a Union Territory with a family of 572 islands of which 37 are occupied by people.
Andaman and Nicobar are also referred to as Mini India because people of all caste, creed and religion reside in this beach place very peacefully.
Mariamman Thiruvizha: A Must-Visit Festival for Cultural Enthusiasts
It was named as Mini India by former prime minister Indira Gandhi after witnessing the huge diversity of people residing on the island. Apart from the beautiful beaches, corals and marine life, the humans living there make the place even more lively.
Mariamma Thiruizha
Such a diverse population index clearly indicates the tradition and festive wealth of the island. A series of festivals are celebrated which attracts tourist from all over the world. Sri Mariamman Thiruvizha is one such festival.
It is believed to be the second most important and biggest festival of Hindus celebrated in honour of Goddess Arulmigu Sri Mariamman. Andaman and Nicobar island is home to Christians, Hindus, Bengalis, Tamilians and various ancient Tribes.
Significance of Mariamman Thiruvizha
the festival of Mariamman Thiruvizha is of Hindus but the temple of the Goddess which is situated in Austinabad village, at a distance of 6 kilometers from Port Blair witnesses foreigner devotees and of all other religion.
The Island people believe that Goddess Marriamman is the guardian of heaven like islands of Andaman and Nicobar. There is ancient folklore based on which people believe that this temple is standing tall.
The story is narrated as, when the Dhannikari Dam was under construction, the contractor faced loads of difficulty in building it. Sometimes the wall got cracked and frequent cracks were common which was hindering the completion of the dam successfully.
So one fine day, the frustrated contractor prayed to Goddess Marriamman by wearing several ornaments and by following all the rituals very finely. Following night he saw the Goddess in his dream and she encouraged him to continue his hard work and surprisingly in next week, he completed the construction successfully.
The successful completion of the dam overwhelmed the constructor and he decided to build the temple to honour Goddess Marriamman and every year it attracts many tourists.
