Faith. Tiruvappur Muthu Mariyamman temple
When a loved one falls ill, the family prays to God to heal their child. And when the person is cured, their family takes them to the temple (usually where the main diety is a Goddess) and makes them lie down and "offered" to God, this is symbolically meant to say "Thank you Almighty, this loved one has been healed, we offer her and her good health to you, for without you nothing is possible". A lot of deadly diseases like small pox have made people over the centuries believe that a lot is not in their hands, and it is only upto God to heal them. This is a mark of reverence to the Almighty.
