Shri Shakti Mariammaa Temple

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Shri Shakti Mariammaa Temple One Mission..Our Pledge..Your Temple!

Our mission is simple!
* We aim to acknowledge, praise, and increase awareness of our Divine and Benevolent Universal Mother – in all her glorious forms - through devotion, dedication, passion, education and preservation of our culture.
* We strive to foster an intellectual understanding of how devotion to the Universal Mother can positively transform and improve our lives as well as to provide a meaningful and all inclusive platform for the next generation to adopt and foster.

WHEN FEAR ARRIVES, WHO STANDS AT THE GATE? Have you ever wondered why devotees seek protection from a deity whose very a...
10/23/2026

WHEN FEAR ARRIVES, WHO STANDS AT THE GATE?

Have you ever wondered why devotees seek protection from a deity whose very appearance is so terrifying and fearsome?

His fierce eyes. His skull. His trishul. The dog that accompanies him.

This is Bhairav, Mahadev in his formidable, protective form.

And even his name holds a fascinating paradox.

In Sanskrit, BHAYA means FEAR. BHAIRAV means THE FEARSOME ONE.

Yet when fear overwhelms us, it is his name we call.

Why do we run toward the Fearsome One when we are frightened?

Because when danger stands at your door, you do not ask your guardian to look harmless.

You pray that he is stronger than whatever threatens you.

And this is the devotion behind the worship of Bhairava.

He is revered as Kshetrapala, the guardian of sacred spaces and boundaries.

But his guardianship is not limited to a single doorway.

In Shaiva traditions, EIGHT forms of Bhairava stand guard over the EIGHT directions.

THE ASHTA BHAIRAVAS

🔱 Asitanga Bhairava — East

🔱 Ruru Bhairava — Southeast

🔱 Chanda Bhairava — South

🔱 Krodha Bhairava — Southwest

🔱 Unmatta Bhairava — West

🔱 Kapala Bhairava — Northwest

🔱 Bhishana Bhairava — North

🔱 Samhara Bhairava — Northeast

EIGHT DIRECTIONS. EIGHT FEARSOME GUARDIANS.

The Kamika Agama names these eight Bhairavas surrounding Aghora Deva. Other Shaiva traditions describe 64 Bhairavas, arranged in eight groups of eight.

But think about the extraordinary comfort behind this tradition.

There are moments when fear takes hold of us so completely that even prayer becomes difficult.

When someone we love is in danger.

When the road ahead is uncertain.

When darkness falls and we feel terribly alone.

When we have done everything within our power, yet still cannot protect what is most precious to us.

That is when we understand the desperate need for a guardian.

Someone to stand watch where we cannot.

Someone to face what we are too frightened to face.

Someone whose strength we can turn to when our own has failed.

And so, with trembling hands, we whisper:

“Appa, guard the roads I cannot travel. Protect the loved ones I cannot reach. Stand where I cannot stand.”

His ferocity is not the absence of compassion. It is compassion armed with a trishul.

To those seeking refuge, his terrifying form becomes a source of courage.

His guardianship reminds devotees that they need not surrender their hearts to fear.

And perhaps that is the greatest beauty of his name.

Bhairav; the Fearsome One, is the very One we invoke to VANQUISH OUR FEARS.

For some, his appearance inspires terror.

For his devotees, that same appearance inspires the courage to face tomorrow.

May Bhairav stand guard over our homes, protect our loved ones, and grant courage to every frightened heart.

Did you know about the eight forms of Bhairava?

10/22/2026

OM Shakti- All road leads to the re-opening of the Shri Shakti Mariammaa Temple. Join us on Oct 31st & Nov 01st.

SO WHAT HAVE WE REALLY LEARNED THIS NAVRATRI ?🔱Nine nights of kathas. Days of fasting, prayer, sacrifice, and discipline...
10/20/2026

SO WHAT HAVE WE REALLY LEARNED THIS NAVRATRI ?🔱

Nine nights of kathas. Days of fasting, prayer, sacrifice, and discipline.

We heard stories of courage, devotion, arrogance, jealousy, forgiveness, and the triumph of good over evil.

But somewhere in those stories, did we recognize ourselves ?

Did Mahishasura remind us how easily pride can blind even the most powerful?

Did Raktabija make us think about how quickly anger, resentment, and negativity can multiply when we continue to feed them?

Did those days of fasting teach us that we are stronger than our desires? That we can live with less, resist temptation, and remain committed even when things become difficult?

Or perhaps a katha we have heard a hundred times suddenly touched our heart differently this year.

Because sometimes we hear the same katha for years, until one day, life gives it an entirely different meaning.

That is the beauty of our traditions.

The stories remain the same. But we grow older. We experience loss, love, disappointment, responsibility, and struggles we never imagined.

And suddenly, we understand something we couldn’t understand before.

Perhaps that is why we return to Maa every navratri.

Not because we have learned everything, but because there is always something more to learn.

And perhaps the greatest lesson of Navratri is not what we managed to give up for nine days, but what we learned to carry for the rest of our lives.

A little more patience.
A little less ego.
The courage to forgive.
The strength to begin again.
A deeper understanding of ourselves.

We don’t have to leave Navratri as perfect people.

But wouldn’t it be beautiful if we left it a little different from how we entered?

Of all the kathas you heard, the prayers you offered, and the discipline you practiced this Navratri, what is one lesson from Maa that you will carry with you long after the celebrations end?

Because sometimes the most meaningful blessing we receive isn’t something Maa places in our hands.

It’s something She awakens within our hearts.

🙏 Om Sakthi! Jai Mata Di! 🔱

YOU SAY “JAI MATA DI!” WE SAY “OM SAKTHI!” BUT HOW DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD CALL UPON MAA THIS NAVRATRI? Have you ever...
10/19/2026

YOU SAY “JAI MATA DI!” WE SAY “OM SAKTHI!” BUT HOW DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD CALL UPON MAA THIS NAVRATRI?

Have you ever wondered what devotees are saying in temples thousands of miles away from yours during Navratri?

In one temple, the entire congregation shouts “JAI MATA DI!”

In another, the powerful cries of “JAI BHAVANI!” fill the air!

And somewhere else, hundreds of devotees call out “OM SAKTHI! PARASAKTHI!”

Same Divine Mother. So many beautiful ways of calling upon Her!

And that’s just the beginning!

🔱GUJARAT: Jai Ambe! Jai Mataji!

🔱MAHARASHTRA: Jai Bhavani! Udo Ga Ambe Udo!

🔱BENGAL: Joy Maa Durga! Shubho Sharodiya!

🔱 TAMIL NADU: Om Sakthi! Parasakthi!

🔱KERALA: Amme Narayana! Devi Narayana!

🔱KARNATAKA: Jai Chamundeshwari!

🔱ANDHRA PRADESH & TELANGANA: Devi Navaratri Shubhakankshalu!

🔱NEPAL: Dashain Ko Shubhakamana!

Some are festive Navratri greetings. Others are sacred cries of devotion heard throughout the year.

And the beauty doesn’t stop at India’s borders!

From Guyana and Trinidad to Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, Malaysia, and Hindu communities around the world, Navratri brings together an extraordinary diversity of languages, customs, and expressions of devotion.

Different languages. Different traditions. Different names.

Yet isn’t it beautiful that millions of devotees can celebrate the same sacred festival while calling upon Maa in so many different ways?

🌎🔱 NOW WE HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR DEVOTEES AROUND THE WORLD!

DID WE FORGET ONE? TELL US! 👀🙏🏽

How do YOU greet or call upon Maa during Navratri?

Do you say Jai Mata Di? Jai Bhavani? Om Sakthi? Or something completely different?

Tell us your country, your tradition, and the words you hear in YOUR temple!

Let’s fill these comments with the beautiful sounds of Navratri from around the world! ❤️

From all of us at Shri Shakti Mariammaa Temple in New York…

OM SAKTHI! PARASAKTHI! 🔱🌺

RAVANA WAS THE SON OF A SAGE. PRAHLADA WAS THE SON OF AN ASURA. NOW TELL ME, WHO WAS RIGHTEOUS?DAY 9 — MAA SIDDHIDATRI F...
10/19/2026

RAVANA WAS THE SON OF A SAGE. PRAHLADA WAS THE SON OF AN ASURA. NOW TELL ME, WHO WAS RIGHTEOUS?

DAY 9 — MAA SIDDHIDATRI

For nine nights, we have celebrated Maa Durga’s destruction of the asuras.

But did you know that even the sacred hymn to Maa Siddhidatri describes ASURAS AND DEVAS ALIKE worshipping Her?

Yes! Even the asuras bowed before the Divine Mother!

And perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.

PRAHLADA WAS AN ASURA.

Born to Hiranyakashipu, a father who repeatedly tried to kill him for his devotion to Lord Vishnu.

Yet Bhagavan Himself appeared as Narasimha to protect that child.

RAVANA WAS THE SON OF A SAGE.

Born to the great rishi Vishrava. Learned in the Vedas. A devotee of Mahadev.

Yet all that knowledge and devotion did not prevent his arrogance from destroying him.

And what about Maa Lakshmi?

The Mahabharata tells us that SRI LAKSHMI ONCE DWELT AMONG THE ASURAS, blessing them when they upheld dharma, and departing when they abandoned it!

Now think about that.

One was born into an asura family and became a symbol of devotion. Another was born to a sage and became a symbol of arrogance.

Our scriptures were never as black and white as we sometimes make them.

And this is what makes Maa Siddhidatri, the ninth form of Navdurga, so fascinating.

She grants siddhis, extraordinary spiritual powers and attainments.

But POWER IS NOT PURITY. KNOWLEDGE IS NOT CHARACTER. AND DEVOTION WITHOUT DHARMA IS NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS.

A person can know every mantra and still possess a cruel heart.

A person can perform a thousand poojas and still live without compassion.

And someone the world considers unworthy can possess a devotion that moves the Divine Herself.

So before judging someone, remember Prahlada.

And before mistaking religious knowledge for righteousness, remember Ravana.

Because dharma is not something we inherit through our bloodline, our surname, or our spiritual status.

DHARMA IS SOMETHING WE MUST LIVE.

🌺🔱 Jai Maa Siddhidatri! Jai Adi Parashakti!

Scriptural references: Navadurga Stotram (Siddhidatri); Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 7 (Prahlada); Valmiki Ramayana (Ravana’s parentage); Mahabharata, Shanti Parva (Sri Lakshmi and the asuras).

AMMAA RAISES HER HAND TO REMOVE OUR FEAR. SO WHY DO WE RAISE OUR VOICES TO PUT IT BACK?We teach our children to fear Amm...
10/19/2026

AMMAA RAISES HER HAND TO REMOVE OUR FEAR. SO WHY DO WE RAISE OUR VOICES TO PUT IT BACK?

We teach our children to fear Amma.
Then wonder why they suddenly loose interest in our worship.

A little child stands before Amma during Puja.

A flower accidentally falls. A mantra comes out wrong.

“Be careful! Amma will get angry!”

“Maa will punish you!”

Everyone moves on. But that child remembers.

On Maha Ashtami, we worship Maa Mahagauri, the radiant, compassionate form of Adi Shakti.

One hand offers blessings. Another is raised in Abhaya Mudra, the gesture of fearlessness and protection.

HER HAND IS RAISED TO REMOVE OUR FEAR. YET SOMETIMES, OUR OWN WORDS PUT THAT FEAR RIGHT BACK.

And let’s be very clear.

Correct pronunciation of mantras MATTERS. Proper performance of poosai MATTERS. Preserving the sacred traditions our ancestors passed down MATTERS.

But there is a difference between teaching reverence and teaching terror.

Correct the child. Teach them the mantra again. Show them the proper way to worship.

But don’t make them afraid of the Mother they’re learning to love.

Because one day, that child grows up.

And we wonder why they don’t want to come to temple anymore.

Why they refuse to participate in poosai.

Why they have no interest in the traditions we fought so hard to preserve.

But did they lose their love for Amma? Or did we make them afraid to get close to Her?

And here’s the heartbreaking part.

One day, life will hurt our children in ways we cannot prevent.

There will be tears we cannot wipe away. Battles we cannot fight for them.

And someday, we may not be there at all.

When that day comes, wouldn’t we want them to remember Amma?

To close their eyes, whisper Her name, and find comfort at Her feet?

Not to wonder whether She is angry with them too.

This Maha Ashtami, teach our children every mantra, every ritual, and the reverence our traditions deserve.

BUT PLEASE, DON’T LET THEIR EARLIEST MEMORIES OF AMMA BE MEMORIES OF FEAR.

Because someday, when our arms can no longer hold them, we’ll be praying that Amma’s arms will.

AND WHEN THAT DAY COMES, WE SHOULD WANT OUR CHILDREN TO RUN TO HER.

NOT BE AFRAID TO GO NEAR HER.

🌺🔱 Om Devi Mahagauryai Namah!

10/18/2026

THE LITTLE GIRL WE CALL DEVI STILL HAS TO GO HOME.

This Sunday, Navratri begins.

We will dress Maa in silk, cover Her in flowers, and fall at Her feet begging for protection.

We will observe Kanya Puja, we will wash the tiny feet of little girls, feed them, shower them with gifts, and lovingly call them DEVI.

And then the prayers will end.

She will put her little shoes back on.
And go home.

But what if home is the very place she is afraid to return to?

Because somewhere tonight, a little girl is being r***d.

Another is afraid to close her eyes because someone her family trusts might enter her room.

A woman carries acid scars across her face because a man couldn’t accept the word NO.

A wife hears her husband’s keys in the door, and her stomach sinks. She knows what his anger can do.

And somewhere, a child finally finds the courage to whisper…

“He hurt me.”

But suddenly, everyone is worried.
Not about her.

About HIM.

His reputation. His career. His marriage.
His future.

What the neighbors will say.

BUT WHAT ABOUT HER?

What about her childhood?

The nights she lies awake?

The fear she now carries into places where she once felt safe?

WHY ARE WE SO DESPERATE TO PROTECT HIS FUTURE WHILE SHE IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE WHAT HE DID TO HERS?

And please, don’t convince yourself these are tragedies happening somewhere far away.

These are not just victim stories. These are people’s lives.

Every single day.

In our alleys. Our neighborhoods. Our communities. Our villages. Our cities.

Behind beautiful doors. Inside respected families.

Sometimes the abuser shares our last name.
Sometimes he sits beside us in prayer.

And sometimes everyone knows. But nobody wants to say a word.

Then Navratri comes.

We celebrate for destroying evil, yet tell women to endure it.

We praise for Her fearlessness, yet shame women who refuse to remain silent.

We worship maa as the blessing of our homes, yet humiliate daughters-in-law behind those same walls.

We pray to Maa for wisdom, yet question the little girl who finally tells us someone has violated her.

WE ARE SO AFRAID OF DISRESPECTING THE GODDESS, .

WHY ARE WE NOT EQUALLY AFRAID OF DESTROYING THE DIGNITY OF A WOMAN?

We know the names of the demons Maa destroyed. Mahishasur. Shumbh . Raktabeej

But will we confront cruelty when it shares our blood?

When it sits at our dinner table?

When it belongs to someone we love?

Or will we ask another woman to suffer quietly so the rest of the family can sleep peacefully?

And perhaps the most heartbreaking contradiction of all…

We wash the feet of little girls as Devi.

But what happens when Devi grows up?

When she develops a voice?
When she says NO?
When she leaves an abusive marriage?
When she exposes the man everyone respects?

IS SHE STILL WORTHY OF OUR REVERENCE THEN?

Or was she only sacred when she was small, obedient, and silent?

SHE SHOULDN’T NEED TEN ARMS TO DESERVE PROTECTION.

SHE SHOULDN’T NEED TO BE CALLED DEVI TO BE BELIEVED.

So please, celebrate Navratri.

Light your diyas. Sing your bhajans. Offer Maa your flowers.

But remember…

You can memorize every mantra.
Perform every ritual.
Offer Maa a thousand flowers.

Yet if you excuse abuse, silence survivors, or protect those who harm women and children…

YOU HAVE LEARNED THE RITUAL.
BUT YOU HAVE MISSED THE GODDESS.

This Sunday, we will fall at Maa’s feet and beg Her to protect our families.

But somewhere, another mother’s daughter is begging someone to protect her.

What if the person she’s begging is you?
Will you believe her?
Will you stand beside her?
Even if the person who hurt her is someone you love?

Because devotion means very little if it disappears the moment courage is required.

Don’t just wash her feet when you call her Devi.

Make sure she can walk safely through this world when the prayers are over.

Om Sakthi. 🔱

゚viralシ

WE BOW BEFORE A GODDESS DARK AS NIGHT. SO WHY DOES OUR SOCIETY STILL WORSHIP FAIR SKIN? WE CALL MAA KALI’S DARK SKIN DIV...
10/17/2026

WE BOW BEFORE A GODDESS DARK AS NIGHT. SO WHY DOES OUR SOCIETY STILL WORSHIP FAIR SKIN?

WE CALL MAA KALI’S DARK SKIN DIVINE. THEN CALL THAT SAME COMPLEXION “TOO DARK” ON OUR DAUGHTERS.

And our sons? We teach them that fairer girls are prettier.

DO WE EVEN REALIZE WHAT WE’RE PASSING DOWN?

On the seventh day of Navratri, we worship Maa Kalaratri, dark as the deepest night.

We bow before Maa Kali, including Her fierce form as Ugra Kali, whose dark complexion has never made Her any less beautiful or divine.

We drape Amma in silk. Adorn Her with gold. Shower Her with flowers. We look at Her with tears in our eyes and call Her BEAUTIFUL. Sundari!

Now imagine a little girl standing beside us at poosai.

She hears us praising Maa Kali’s beauty.

Then she goes home and hears…

“Don’t play in the sun. You’ll get too dark.”

“She’d be so pretty if only she were fairer.”

“Look how fair your cousin is!”

And her brother hears…

“When you get married, find yourself a nice fair girl.”

One child grows up questioning her own beauty. Another grows up believing a woman’s beauty depends on how fair she is.

And the world is more than happy to profit from what we’ve taught them.

For decades, parts of the movie industry have glorified fair skin. The cosmetic industry has sold creams promising lighter complexions.

Even technology now offers filters that make us appear fairer with a single tap.

Imagine a little girl taking a photograph, applying a filter, and believing she’s prettier when she looks less like herself.

How heartbreaking is it that a child can begin to prefer an altered photograph of herself over the face she was born with?

But before we blame the movies, cosmetic companies and technology, perhaps we should look inside our own homes.

Who told her she was getting too dark?

Who compared her to her fairer cousin?

Who taught her brother that lighter skin meant greater beauty?

Sometimes the words that make us question ourselves for a lifetime come from people we love dearly.

This Navratri, we sing Maa’s praises. We listen to Her kathas. We ask Her to destroy ignorance and negativity.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE IGNORANCE WE CONTINUE TO PASS DOWN TO OUR OWN CHILDREN?

Somewhere, a little girl is standing before Maa Kali, admiring Her beautiful dark complexion.

She folds her little hands and whispers, “Amma, You’re so beautiful.”

Then she goes home, looks in the mirror, and wishes her own skin were lighter.

She wasn’t born believing her complexion made her less beautiful.

Her brother wasn’t born believing fairer meant prettier.

WE TAUGHT THEM BOTH.

And perhaps the most painful truth?

The very people who taught them may have been standing right beside them, with folded hands, worshipping Maa as Durga and Kali.

Navratri gives us nine nights to honor the Divine Mother. But when the tenth morning comes, what have we actually learned?

Will we still tell our daughters not to get darker? Will we still teach our sons to prefer fairer skin?

Because if we can spend nine nights recognizing beauty in Maa Kalaratri’s dark complexion, but cannot teach our children to recognize that same beauty in themselves and others, then perhaps it isn’t our children who have failed to understand the Divine Mother.

IT’S US.

❤️🔱 LET OUR CHILDREN INHERIT OUR DEVOTION. NOT OUR PREJUDICE.

Jai Maa Kalaratri! Jai Maa Kali!

NINE NIGHTS WITH MAA. BUT WHO ARE WE ON THE TENTH MORNING?We listened to Maa’s kathas. We sang Her bhajans. We visited t...
10/16/2026

NINE NIGHTS WITH MAA. BUT WHO ARE WE ON THE TENTH MORNING?

We listened to Maa’s kathas. We sang Her bhajans. We visited the temple, folded our hands, and celebrated Her victories over evil.

But when the celebrations end, what is supposed to change within us?

We know the names of the rakshases Maa destroyed.

But do we recognize the ones we continue to feed?

The jealousy we disguise as concern.

The gossip we excuse as harmless conversation.

The pride that would rather lose a relationship than admit we were wrong.

The anger we take out on the very people who love us.

The grudges we hold while begging Maa to bring peace into our lives.

We ask Maa to remove negativity from our homes. But how much of it are we bringing into them ourselves?

We praise Her courage. But do we have the courage to change?

We praise Her compassion. But do we extend that same compassion to others?

Navratri isn’t supposed to make us perfect in nine nights.

But shouldn’t something within us begin to change?

Because if Maa’s kathas can move us to tears, shouldn’t Her teachings move us to change?

We can shout Jai Mata Di loud enough for the entire temple to hear.

But can the people who share our lives actually FEEL the difference in us?

And perhaps that’s the greatest question to carry beyond these nine nights.

Not how much of Navratri we celebrated. But how much of Navratri will remain in us.

🌺🔱 Om Sakthi!

Address

135-26 Rockaway Boulevard
Ozone Park, NY
11420

Opening Hours

7am - 5pm

Telephone

+19176838021

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