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 Introduction

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE - Located at the heart of the city, the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. For the people of Madurai, the temple is the very centre of their cultural and religious life.

It is said that the people of the city wake up, not by the call of nature but at the chant of hymns at the temple.While the major festivals of Tamil Nadu are celebrated here with gaiety that equals the rest of the state, the most important moment in Madurai is the Chitrai festival that is held in April/May, when the celestial marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar is celebrated, drawing a huge crowd of people from all over the state.

This pre-Christian era temple was actually built by Kulasekara Pandya but it was in ruins before it was rebuilt by Tirumalai Nayak who brought back the glory to this magnificient structure.

Of its 12 gopurams, four of the tallest stand at the outer walls of the temple. The 48.4m high southern gopuram is the most spectacular and has over 1500 sculptures. From its top, it is possible to obtain a panoramic view of the city. The Rajagopuram on the eastern side is an unfinished structure which has a 174 sq.ft base, and had this tower been completed, it would surely have been the largest of its kind in the country. The eight smaller gopurams are within the compounds of the twin temples.

In the Ashta Shakti Mandapam inside the Meenakshi temple, the sculpted pillars tell the story of the beautiful princess of Madurai and her marriage to Lord Siva. Meenakshi was the daughter of King Malayadwaja Pandya and Queen Kanchanamala, who begot her after performing several yagnas (sacrificial rites). The three-year old girl who emerged out of the fire during the final yagna was found to have three breasts but a divine voice informed the surprised royal couple that the third breast would disappear when the girl met her consort. The princess who was named Meenakshi, grew to be a beautiful young woman of great valour who conquered several lands and challenged the mightiest kings including Indra, the King of the Devas. Indira appealed to Lord Siva for protection and Meenakshi, chasing the fleeing king, confronted Siva whereby her third breast disappeared. It was revealed that the princess was actually an incarnation of Parvati who came to earth to honour a promise given to Kanchanamala in her previous life. Thus Siva came to Madurai as Sundareswarar to marry Meenakshi and the two ruled over the kingdom for many years before they left for their heavenly abode from the spot where the temple now stands.

The Portamaraikulam or the golden lotus tank is the place where the Tamil literary society called Sangam used to meet to decide the merit of the literary works presented to them. The manuscripts that sank were dismissed while those that floated were considered to be great works of literature. On the western end of this tank is the Oonjal Mandapam where there is a swing on which the two presiding deities are seated and worshipped every Friday. Next to this mandapam is the Kilikootu Mandapam or hall of parrots where there are some beautiful sculptures as well as parrots which chant the name of Meenakshi. The shrine to the goddess is just beyond this hall and entry is restricted only to Hindus.

At the Sundareswarar temple across the courtyard, Lord Siva is represented as a lingam and here too, entry is restricted. The corridor outside the shrine has the stump of a tree under which Indra is believed to have worshipped a lingam. In the Kambathadi Mandapam there is a unique idol of Nataraja dancing with his right leg raised to the shoulder instead of the other way round. The pillars of the Mandapam are decorated with scenes from the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar, many of which depict Siva and Vishnu together, the latter having come to give Meenakshi away in marriage. The Temple Museum is housed in the hall of thousand pillars. There are 985 richly carved pillars here and each one surpasses the other in beauty. More scenes from the wedding can be seen in the Vasantha Mandapam or Pudhu Mandapam. It was constructed by Tirumalai Nayak and is used during the celebration of the spring festival in April-May.

There are few temples in India which share the grandeur of this twin-temple complex. Since the temples is so huge it is quite possible to lose one's bearings and it is therefore advisable to engage a guide or go with a person who has already been there several times. 5km. east of the Meenakshi temple is a tank called Mariamman Teppakulam with an idol of Vinayaka installed on a platform in the centre. It is the site of the temple's float festival.

THIRUMALAI NAYAK MAHALL:

The palace of Tirumalai Nayak is about 1 km away from the temple. This Indo-Saracenic building was constructed in 1523 and was originally four times as large as it is today. There is no other building in Madurai which can better illustrate the architectural style of the Nayaks. The most remarkable part of this palace is the Swarga Vilasam which served as the audience hall. Its dome which lies beyond a huge courtyard is a magnificent example of the engineering skill of its builders, rising as it does to a height of 20m without support of any kind.

Sound and light shows on the life of Tirumalai Nayak and the story of Silappathikaram(a Tamil classic) are held everyday.

Koodal Azhagar Temple : This ancient shrine has Vishnu in sitting, standing and reclining postures one above the other.

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam : The tank has a mandapam at the centre enshrining Lord Vigneshwara. -The Teppakulam float festival is conducted in Jan-Feb.

The Gandhi Museum : The old palace is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.
Timings 10.00-13.00 hrs. and 14.00-17,30 hrs. Ph : 531060

Thirupparankunram (8 Kms/5 mile): One of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.

Azhagar Koil: (21 kms/15 mile.) A Vishnu temple on a picturesque wooded hill. During the Chithirai Festival in April/May, Azhagar travels to Madurai for the Celestial marriage.

Pazhamudhirsolai : One of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya, is on the same hill, about 4 kms. above.

EXCURSION:

Vaigai Dam : (70 kms/40 mile.) A popular picnic spot with beautiful gardens.

Kodaikkanal : (120 kms/65 mile.) Kodai is a hill station 2130 m above sea level in the Western Ghats. Wooded hills, pleasant walks, picturesque waterfalls and a magnificent lake make Kodai one of the most beautiful hill stations in India.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Thekkadi) : (155 kms/80 mile.) One can view wildlife in its natural habitat. The forests of this beautiful sanctuary slope down to a man-made lake where one can see elephant, gaur, sambhar and even tigers which come to the lake. Season : Oct. to June