Sree Meenakshi Temple

Sree Meenakshi Temple

Sree Meenakshi Temple, the enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here as Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi. The original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the entire credit for making the temple as splendid as it is today goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from the 16th to the 18th century and left a majestic imprint of their rule in the Meenakshi - Sundareswarar Temple.

The temple complex is within a high-walled enclosure, at the core of which are the two sanctums for meenakshi and Sundareshwara, surrounded by a number of smaller shrines and grand pillared halls. Especially impressive are the 12 gopuras. Their soaring towers rise from solid granite bases, and are covered with stucco figures of dieties, mythical animals and monsters painted in vivid colours.

Pyramidal gates(gopuras) rise to a height of more than 50m. These towering gateways indicate the entrance to the temple complex at the four cardinal points, while lesser gopuras lead to the sanctums of the main dieties. East Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 161'3". This Gopura has 1011 sudhai figures. South Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 170'6". This Tower has 1511 sudhai figures. West Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 163'3". This Tower has 1124 sudhai figures. North Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 160'6". This Tower has lesser figures of sudhai than other outer towers.

A visitor who enters the temple through the eastern gateway, first enters this Mandapam(Hall). It was built by Thirumalai Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi Ammal and Tholimamai. In this hall food was once distributed to the devotees who came from far off places. Next to this hall is the Meenakshi Nayaka Mandapa, a spacious columned hall used for shops and stores. This hall has a votive lamp-holder with 1,008 lamps, which are lit on festive occasions and present a spectacular sight. The sculptures on the pillars here relate some of Lord Shiva's Thiruvilayadals (miracles) and also the story of Meenakshi's birth and her life as the princess of Madurai.

Malayadwaja Pandya, a king of Madurai , was childless for a long time. He performed a number of yagnas (sacrifices made before a sacred fire) because he wanted an heir to his throne. On one occasion, a three-year-old girl came out of the fire and Malayadwaja adopted her. But the girl had three breasts and this worried Malayadwaja. However, a divine voice assured him that the third breast would disappear as soon as she met her consort. The girl grew into a brave and beautiful princess. she won many battles, but eventually lost her heart to Lord Shiva, when she met him on the battle-field in Kailas. As soon as she saw him, her third breast disappeared and she recognized her divine consort, for the princess was none other than Shiva's wife, Parvathi. After ruling over the Pandya kingdom for a while, they settled in the Madurai temple as Meenakshi and Sundareswarar.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace

Thirumalai Nayak Palace

Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built in 1636 by King Thirumalai Nayak with the help of an Italian Architect. The building we see today was the main Palace where the King lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. This palace consisted mainly of two parts, namely Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa.

In these two parts, there are royal residence, theatre, shrine, apartments, armoury, palanquin place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and garden. King Thirumalai Nayak celebrated festivals like Sceptre festival, Navarathri, Chithirai festival, Masi festival and the Float festival.

He conducted daily dance and music performances in the palace. This palace was destroyed by his grandson Chokkanatha Nayak and the valuables were transferred to other places.

During 19th century, Lord Napier, governor of Madras between 1866 and 1872 made several renovation works. Today, only the spacious rectangular courtyard called the swarga Vilasam and a few adjoining biuldings survive, their awesome scale evoking the grandeur of a vanished era. The courtyard measures 3,900 sq.m and is surrounded by massive circular pillars. To its west lies the Throne Chamber, a vast room with a raised, octagonal dome. This room leads to the Dance Hall. Then the palace was utilized to house some officials of the judiciary and district administration. After independence, this palace was declared as a national monument and is now under the care of the Tamilnadu Archaeological Department. It can be visited from 9a.m to 5 p.m on payment of the entrance fee.

Gandhi Museum

Gandhi Museum

The building that houses the Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai is the historic Tamukkam Palace Rani Mangammal of Nayak Dynasty built about 1670 A.D. Later, Rain Mangammal this was under the occupation of the Nawab of Carnatic, The East India Company and a few others.

Finally the Palace had remained for many years as the official residence of the British District, Collector of Madurai, It was in 1955 the palace with about 13 acres of land was gifted by the Tamil Nadu State Government to the All India Gandhi Smarak Nidhi for the purpose of housing Gandhi Memorial Museum.

Gandhi memorial museum contains paintings, sculptures, Gandhian quotations, articles of village industries and Khadi crafts - a fine exhibition of South Indian village industries and handicrafts associated with Gandhiji. The Ghandi Museum is also worth a visit, but be forewarned about a somewhat gamy display of the dhoti Ghandhi was wearing when he was assassinated.

Madurai Gandhi Museum is something special, as it was in Madurai (which he has visited 14 times during his life-time) that the South-Africa returned wealthy Barrister – Mohandass Kharamchand Gandhi, engaged in the Freedom Struggle against the mighty British Empire (they boasted that the “Sun never sets” to describe the extent of British ruled lands) took a vital decision

Gandhiji stayed during his visit to Madurai in 1921 at the residence of Sri Ramji Kalyanji. On the night of 21-9-1921, he was restless with the thought of what he saw during the day. The farmers and poor people gathered to see him wearing only a piece of cloth – a dhoti, the size of a towel. They were shivering in the cold, while Gandhiji was wearing Kurta, long turban and dhoti. This troubled him mentally and he took that life-changing decision of wearing only a cloth in his loins from then on. Gandhiji was clad barely with this dress, even when he went to London, to take part in the Round Table Conference with the British Prime Minster. It earned him the name from the Colonial British Press “The Half-naked Fakir of India”.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – another great leader and first Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the Museum on 15th April 1959. The US Black Leader Martin Luther King (Jr.) soon after his visit to this Museum said that he got inspired by the ways of Gandhiji. The same words are now being repeated by the new President of America, Barrack Obama that he has great reverence to Mahatma Gandhi and will adopt the Gandhian principles in his political life.

Gandhi Museum is situated at the Thamukkam Palace of Rani Mangammal of Nayak Dynasty, the rulers of Madurai. It is engaged in propagating the ideals of Gandhiji, by educational programs for students; conducting meetings; discourses etc. at the theatre (8000 seating capacity) annexed. Entrance is free. Timings 10.30 am to 5.30 pm. 2 KMs from Madurai Railway Station (Auto Rs.40).

Thirupparamkundram

Thirupparamkundram Temple

Thirupparamkundram Cave temples have been so much identified with the Pallavas (600-850 A.D.), that many people do not know that other rulers also excavated similar rock-cut cave temples and monoliths. The Pandya rulers especially could be credited with a large number of these cave temples but for want of a more definite nomenclature, historians club all these together under the common term, Pallava style even though these temples are in the heart of the Pandya country where no Pallava ever set foot.

Many of the big and small temples around Madurai in Tamilnadu and the Muruga temple at Tirupparankundram are popular. Situated almost on the outskirts, only 7 kms away from Madurai, Tirupparankundram, Parankundram, as it was known in the olden days, has been a place of pilgrims throng to the shrine of Muruga (Subramanya) in their multitude, but hardly one of these devout souls pays attention to the beauty of the temple or the construction of the sanctum.

From the beautiful Asthana Mandapam on the main front facing the street, which figures in every tourist's photograph collection, one climbs, through two higher mandapams to the Sanctum of Subramanya, where one is lost in the sanctity of it and hardly notices anything else. Actually, the shrine is a large rectangular chamber excavated into the huge main rock. There can be no doubt about its age and there are many inscriptions, which speak of repairs and renovations refer to this shrine in the ancient days. Other insciptions refer to the founding of a few more shrines at the place.

From these evidences, we could see that the shrine of Murugha should have existed prior to the eighth century A.D. It is probably very much earlier as it is mentioned in the Agananuru and other Sangam works and in the Thevaram. All these works refer to the place as Parankundram. The Paripadal (about the 6th century A.D.) gives a very graphic description of the route from Madurai to Tirupparankundram when the Pandya king visited the place in state. The Poem describes in minute details, the many shrines, mandapams and painted chambers not omitting even the monkeys which were as plentiful then as they are even to this day.

This rock-cut Pandya sanctum follows the usual plan of many such edifices with two chambers on either side and reliefs on the facing wall. In the chamber on the west is a Linga with the characteristic Somaskanda panel on the back wall as in many early Pallava shrines.

Azhagar Kovil

Azhagar Kovil

Azhagar Kovil is Located 21 kms northwest of Madurai is a Vishnu Temple on a picturesque wooded hill. Here 'Vishnu' presides as Meenakshi's brother 'Azhgar'. During the Chitrai festival in April/May, when the celestial marriage of Meenakshi to Sundareswarar is celebrated, Azhagar travels to Madurai. A gold processional icon called the Sundararajar is carried by devotees in procession from Azhagar Kovil to Madurai for wedding ritual.

It is said that Alagar kovil attracted pilgrims even in the early days of the Sangam age. The temple is built on an extensive area in a very picturesque spot, surrounded by the ruins of a historic fort. The impressive main tower at the entrance, believed to have been built by the Pandyan Kings, has some beautiful sculptures depicting scenes from the epics. According to historical records, Malayadhwaja Pandyan, son of Kulasekhara Pandyan, who is said to have established the Pandyan kingdom, appears to be the earliest known monarch who patronised this temple. Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan, who reigned during the period 1251-1270 A.D., beautified the 'vimana' of the 'sanctum sanctorum' with gold plates. Later, during the reign of the Vijayanagar king Krishnadeva Raya, the temple was endowed with revenues from two villages for conducting regular festivals.

After the end of Pandya rule in Madurai, the Nayaka kings became the chief patrons of this deity. The famous Nayaka king Vishwanatha, who ruled in Madurai during 1558-1563 A.D., made magnificent donations to this temple. The main deity of this temple is called Paramaswamy and the processional idol is called Alagar and also Sundararajan. This beautiful idol is made of pure gold and is a fine example of craftsmanship of the ancient period. The shrine of Kalyana Sundaravalli, the divine consort of Alagar, is in the southern enclosure. There is another shrine in the north dedicated to Andal who is said to have visited this place with Periyalwar from Srivilliputtur. Other important shrines are those of Sudarshanar and Yoga Narasimha.

Karuppannaswamy, the God of Kallars and the finely carved eighteen steps, are held in great reverence by the devotees. It is claimed that nobody will dare tell a lie at this spot. The hill by the side of the temple is about 300 metres high and is famous for its holy springs called Silamboru and Noopura Gangai. According to local tradition, this spring is said to have originated from the anklets of Maha Vishnu during His incarnation as Trivikrama. The 3 kms path on the hillock to the temple of the summit, where bathing facilities are available, offers some beautiful natural scenery to the visitors.

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

Madurai City, is known popularly as the 'City of Festivals' / 'Temple City'. And among the many festivals big and small which take place there throughout the year, one of the most picturesque is the Float Festival or ' Teppothsavam'. On that day, the idols of Goddess Meenakshi and her consort Lord Sudareshwarar are taken in grand procession to the big lake called Teppakolam, and drawn round and round a shrine built in the middle of the small island in the center of the lake, seated on a decorated float called 'Teppa'.

The float festival was originated in the 17th century by king Tirumala Nayaka who reigned in Madurai. The local story is that the king had a new palace built and to make bricks for it, a great excavation was made. Later, he converted the excavated depression into a sixteen acre lake, fed the same by the Vaigai river through underground channels and built the temple of Ganesha on the artificial island in the middle. Then he started the custom of taking the divine idols for a boat ride on the waters of the lake on his birthday. Generally, this festival is celebrated during January of the year beginning with Sankranthi (Pongal) festival.

At dawn, the processional idols of Meenakshi and Sundareshwarar start out from the main temple in great pomp. The deities are carried in golden palanquins escorted by elephants, horses, musicians and thousands of devotees. After reaching the Teppakolam, about three kilometres away, the deities are placed in a prepared 'Mandapam' on the banks of the lake, where the devotees are allowed to worship them. The idols are then taken in palanquins and placed on a great raft-like structure, colourfully decorated with varieties of flower garlands, silken buntings, paper lanterns and masses of flowers.

Hundreds of devotees catch hold of the two big ropes by which the float is drawn and they await the signal to start. One rope is pulled by men standing on the central island and second by those on the bank of the lake. After the final ritual of worship the priests give the signal and the men strain at the ropes.
Slowly, the great float moves away from the shore and begins its circuit. As the men on the rope run along the bank of Teppakulam the thousands of spectators crowding there enjoy by shouting the names of the deities in great joy. The float itself moves around the lake at a slow, steady pace. After a couple of rounds, which take more than three hours, the ornamental raft is moved to the central island and remains there till the evening. All through the day, a number of boats ply to the island bringing thousands of devotees to worship.

The scene in the evening is even more wonderful and over a lakh of people gather to watch the procession. As dusk falls, all the five towers of the island temple glow with coloured light illumination. And thousands of little oil-lamps are lighted in the niches of the walls overhanging the lake. All are brightly reflected in the water and it looks as if the lake is a glow with its own light. After the gun signal booms, the float is also illuminated with strings of coloured electric bulbs, banks of fluorescent tubes and a blaze of flood lights turning the ornamental raft into a dazzling sight.

Places to see in Madurai

1. Sree Meenakshi Temple

2. Thirumalai Nayak Palace

3. Gandhi Museum

4. Thirupparamkundram

5. Azhagar Kovil

6. Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam