The flower festival or flower sprinkling festival (known in Tamil as Poochoriyal) is an important festival ceberated in the Samayapuram Mariamman temple near Tiruchirappalli. This festival is usually held in the Tamil month of Masi. During this festival, devotees throng the temple to sprinkle flowers on the idol of the Hindu goddess Mariamman

Mariamman

Māri ,Tulu, also known as Mariamman , both meaning "Mother Mari", spelt also Maariamma , or simply Amman or Aatha is the South Indian Hindu goddess of disease and rain. She is the main South Indian mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and...

. During this period, it is believed, that the goddess fasts for the welfare of her devotees for a period of 28 days. As a result, the ritual consecration of food at the temple does not take place.