Angala Nagar in Muthialpet gets its name from the ugra goddess who presides over the region. Angalamman is the only “vadaka paatha”, or north-facing Amman, who protects against threats which have historically come from the North. The temple also holds the shrines of Kalkatta Kali, Annapurni, Siva, Rama, Pavadarayan and Pecchayi Amman. This last Pecchayi Amman is the ferocious midwife who rescued the infant-incarnate Siva, and sits always in the dim light of a single lamp. There is also an adjacent Sri Shakti Vinayaka shrine which belongs to the temple. The Kalkatta Kali seems unique to the Angalamman temples, and is worshipped every month on theipirai ashtami, or the ashtami of the waning fortnight. This and the Lawspet Murugan Koyil are the only temples outside the boulevards that we are covering in this project.
The primary utsavam for Angalamman is the re-enactment of the Vallala Kottai followed by the Mayana Kollai. The first is the retelling of the story of Pecchayi Amman’s slaying of King Vallala’s queen, performed with folk instruments, song, and costumes. A large sand-figure of the queen is made and destroyed by a charging array of goddesses who then go on procession. The Mayana Kollai is the re-enactment of Angala Parameswari descending onto the graveyard to free Siva of His Brahmahati, or Brahma-slaying curse. She lures the Kapala from Siva’s hand with food scattered across the graveyard, then reduces it to ashes by stepping upon it with her right foot.