Maisamma (), also known as Mesai () and additionally spelt Mesko (

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

: मेस्को), Amma in Telugu or Aai in Marathi ( , "mother") is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

folk goddess. She is mainly worshipped as a

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

n mother goddess, predominantly in the rural areas of

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

and

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. She is believed to protect the cattle. Among the cattle sheds, a niche is white-washed and decorated with "Kukuma" and called "Maisamma Goodu". In many places Katta-Maisamma is also worshipped as a goddess of water and is worshipped in the form of a small stone on the tank bund. People believe that she will ensure that the tank is full. She is believed to be the daughter of Shiva and Parvati. As per the place she is worshipped, she is called in different names: # Katta Maisamma (who protects water) # Nalla Maisamma (who is in black color and worshipped under a tree) # Tella Maisamma (who is white and worshipped in a small tomb like structure or wall) # Bangaaru Maisamma (who is in golden complexion and safe guards the town/village) # Vendi Maisamma (who is worshipped in outskirts of the village and wears silver) # Panta Maisamma (who is worshipped in the agricultural lands, she doesn't has any idols, she is worshipped before and after the crop harvest) Thus, the crops would flourish due to her blessings. Her worship is mainly associated with curing diseases such as

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

and

chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( ), is a highly contagious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which ...

Notes

Regional Hindu gods Hindu folk deities Health goddesses Hindu goddesses Mother goddesses Smallpox deities {{hindu-myth-stub

See also

Notes