Māri (/mɒrı/, /maari/), also known as Mariamman ( /mɒrı əˈmʌn/) and Mariaai, both meaning "Mother Mari", spelt also Maariamma, or simply Amman or Aatha ("mother") is the South Indian Hindu goddess of rain. She was worshipped by the ancient South Indian Tamils as the bringer of prosperity, since the abundance of their crops was dependent largely upon adequate rainfall. The cult of the mother goddess is treated as an indication of a society which venerated femininity.
