that was a clear differentiation between kali and amman
but arent kali statues generally those ferocious looking goddesses with no other deity like shiva in the temple.
mostly with a demon below the foot. incidentally i was told in saktha matham( 1/3rd of ancient hindus other than vaishnavaites and shaivaites) even parvathi is ferocious and has a prostrate shiva underfoot.
by the way the statue in thiruvengadu is a stone kali.
> Dear Gokul > > that was a clear differentiation between kali and amman > > but arent kali statues generally those ferocious looking goddesses > with no other deity like shiva in the temple. > > mostly with a demon below the foot.
That takes us to another interesting layer of discussions
The grama devatas (essentially female godesses local to specific terrain) worship is very ancient - should have be older than introduction of Uma as the consort of shiva
Even kotravai is portrayed as an independent deity in tholkappiyam and only later with the introduction of shiva and uma becomes durga and occupies northern niche
The ammans you are talking about need to be observed closely - they may be grama devatas, manifestations of durka or kotravai (like Kaali) or even other class of deities... deities of the lost saktha cult..
By the way, who can explain mariyamman, her presence at the entrance of the srirangam temple in early days (present day Koorathazhvan sannidhi) and her eventual replacement to the current position at kannapuram (samayapuram) by Saint ramanuja ?