Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, is home to numerous historical sites of international attention. Ancient temples in the state form an invaluable treasure of cultural heritage of ancient Indian civilization. Madurai city is the second largest city, after state capital Chennai. A prominent river, named Vaigai flows through Tamil Nadu and Madurai lies on the banks of this lifeline. Madurai is regarded as the cultural capital of the state. The city of Madurai proudly claims the rich history of 2500 years of existence. The jewel in the crown of Madurai is the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Meenakshi is a sobriquet for Goddess Parvathi. Amman means mother. Sundareshwar refers to Lord Shiva, the consort of Parvathi. This temple is the largest and the oldest one in Madurai. The temple complex covers an area of over 65,000 square meters.

Legend

Pandian dynasty ruled parts of ancient south India for hundreds of years. The seat of power was relocated to present day Madurai. According to legend, King Malaydhwaja and Queen Kanchanmalai yearned for a child. Their prayers were answered by divine powers and a girl was born through holy fire. The girl eventually married Lord Shiva and they ruled the empire. The Royal couple was known as Lord Sundareshwar and Goddess Meenakshi, in their divine forms. These legends create a mystical halo around the characters.

History

The temple is believed to be a creation of Lord Indra, the King of celestial deities. References of this shrine can be found in 2000 years old Tamil literature. Invaders attacked this temple in the fourteenth century and destroyed many elements. In the sixteenth century, Vishwanatha Nayak, first king of the famous Nayak dynasty, took the initiative to rebuild the ruined temple. The temple design created by Vishwanatha Nayak was expanded by the next ruler, Thirumalai Nayak. Construction of huge corridors was part of his contribution towards giving a glorified look to the whole temple complex. Queen Mangammal built temple tank and more corridors meant for special occasions.

Architecture

Meenakshi Amman temple is a massive structure. The temple complex has all elements of science of building such holy structures. ‘Gopurams’ meaning gateway towers are essential parts of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu. These ‘Gopurams’ are on the outer walls, one in each direction of east, west, north and south. There are four gateways. Southern gateway is 50 meters tall. People can reach the top to have a bird’s eye view of the entire Madurai city. The towers have foundation of solid granite. The most interesting visible part of the tower is eye catching stucco figures of deities and mythical animals and monsters. The panels in the towers are fully covered with brightly painted such figures. Everybody stands in awe, imagining the extraordinary skill and labor invested in designing this unique creation.

Temples of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar can be accessed through southern gateway. Emerald hued black stone image of Goddess Meenakshi stands in the shrine. The shrines have gold plated towers above the sanctum. A tall stone sculpture of Lord Ganesha in the complex is another attraction for the devotees. A huge tank measuring 50 meters by 37 meters is situated in the complex. Some paintings from the 18th century are present in porticos surrounding the tank.
Huge halls of various sizes are found in the temple complex. Each hall is named with special description. All the halls contain sculptures of numerous deities, depicting many events. A hall known as the  Thousand Pillars Hall actually contains 985 pillars and was built in the 16th century. This structure is testimony to the blend of artistic vision and matching engineering skills. Some of the pillars are known as musical ones, as they produce various notes of musical sounds, when tapped.

Festivals

This temple is regarded as Shakti Peeth, meaning the center of divine power. Every Friday during the months of July-August and January-February, is celebrated with a  lot of fanfare by thousands of devotees. The most important festival of marriage of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Shiva is celebrated on a grand scale in the month of April. Other festivities in the temple include chariot festival, float festival, Navarathri and Shivarathri.

Temple Rituals

A big team of priests every day conducts elaborate rituals of worship. There are four steps of Puja, comprised of sacred bath, decoration, food offering and worship with wick lamps. The whole ritual is conducted amidst musical background.

Best time to Visit

Any time of year is good for visit. Tourists can enjoy festivities during festival periods.

How to Reach

By Train

Madurai is well connected by railway network to all important destinations in India.

By Air

Madurai International Airport caters the needs of international as well as domestic visitors.

By Road

All roads connecting Madurai to other destinations in Tamil Nadu and rest of India are in good shape. Regular bus services and taxis provide necessary transport facilities.