Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple, mariamman Teppakulam, Nandi Mandap, Viravasantaraya, Pudu Mandap, Golden Lotus Tank, Meenakshi Shrine, kalyana mandap, Airakkal Mandap...
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For ten days in the month of Chaitra (March-April), Madurai is a riot of color and festivity. This historic city is built on the banks of the Vagai River, whose sacred presence in celebrated in the annual Vagai River Festival. On the tenth day of the Vagai River Festival the climax is reached when the goddess Meenakshi's wedding is celebrated. Great processions with gilded chariots proceeds through the streets crying the richly ornamented images of Meenakshi, a local goddess (sister of a southern Indian manifestation of Vishnu) and Sundareshvara (Shiva). Thousands of devotees come to attend this divine wedding, and it is then that the raison d'etre of the temple at Madurai can be fully appreciated. The great temple at Madurai is dedicated to this couple and is called the Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple.
This city was the capital of the Pandyan rulers between the seventh and thirteenth centuries, after which it fell into the hands of the Vijayanagara dynasty. The Vijayanagara rulers (from Hampi, northern Karnataka) divided their kingdom into various administrative units under the control of appointed governors. The local governor of Madurai soon broke loose from his overlords and established the Nayaka dynasty. Their greatest king was Tirumala (1623-60), responsible for building a large portion of the town and the Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple. Every year, on full moon day in January (Magha) on the birth anniversary of Tirumala Nayak, the seventeenth ruler of Madurai, another great festival is held. The temple deities are richly dressed and adorned with jewellery and taken in a long procession to a water tank 5 kilometers east of the city. This reservoir, called Mariamman Teppakulam, is rectangular with steps leading down to the water's edge. The procession meanders from the Meenakshi Temple down the broad streets of Madurai till it reaches the Teppakulam tank. There, with much ceremony, the deities are placed on rafts, gaily bedecked with oil lamps and ser afloat to the accompaniment of devotional music. Right at the center of the bank is a beautiful square island with a whitewashed pavilion lavishly decorated with flowers and lamps for the festival.
The Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple is one of southern India's most celebrated. It is an enormous complex with two principal shrines, one for Meenakshi and the other for Shiva, a tank, several other subsidiary shrines, corridors, and long colonnades of carved pillars. The entire complex is enclosed within high walls with huge gateways or gopurams in the middle on each side. From great distances one can see these multicolored gopurams with unrestrained decorations of plasterwork figures. To add to the profusion of forms, recent renovations of the towers were undertaken and the figures were coated in outlandish colors in enable chemical paints! These gopurams, virtual mountains of figures with not an inch of space to spare, depict scenes and characters from Hindu mythology. The tallest gopuram of southern one, which reaches an awe-inspiring height of 60 meters.
The temple complex is aligned west to east, with the main entrance on the eastern side. The Nandi Mandap, called Viravasantaraya, stands before the eastern gate. In front of this is the Pudu Mandap, the new mandap with rows of massive pillars lavishly carved with mythical creatures and portraits of the Nayakas, the chief patrons of the temple. An unfinished gopuram lies before the Pudu mandap and consists of a basement storey of a gopuram, said to have been be built by Tirumala Nayaka. The dimensions of the foundation suggest that this eastern gopuram was intended to be higher than all the others.
Entrance to the temple is from the eastern gate or the Shrine of the Eight goddesses. Once with in the temple compound it is a maze: a kaleidoscope of patterns, colors, and structures. Shops and temporary stalls selling items for worship are the first to come into view, because one does not enter the abode of god empty-handed. Flowers, fruit, coconut, camphor, and agarbatti sticks are for sale, along with trinkets and souvenirs of the temple.
Continuing westward, with in the temple complex, one comes to the lovely Golden Lotus Tank. A rectangular tank with stepped banks that lead to the water's edge. In the middle is a tall brass lamp column. The tank is surrounded by a colonnade, for which this temple is also famous. The walls are decorated with vividly painted murals depicting the various exploits of Shiva, the bridegroom of Meenakshi. The ceiling of the colonnade is richly decorated with huge circular floral medallions. Unfortunately, since the recent renovation, the temple has assumed a garish appearance for, instead of using natural subtle shades, a most outrageous color scheme was chosen. Yet standing near the tank and looking out at the open patch of sky, with glimpses of the towering gopuram, one gets one of the views of the temple from within.
To the western end of the tank is the enclosure wall of the Meenakshi Shrine. Within it are many subsidiary shrines and a 'bedroom' where the image of Meenakshi's husband is brought each night to rest.
North of the Golden Lotus Tank is the entrance gopuram (not as tall as the outer gates) that leads to the Sundareshvara Temple. hundreds of columned halls and verandas are clustered around this area, like the Kambittari mandap of the late nineteenth century.
South of the tank is the Kalyana Mandap (marriage hall) where the divine wedding takes place each year. Under the roof, and surrounded by floral decorations, the images of Meenakshi and Sundareshvara are ceremoniously married by the temple priests. It is a glorious affair and one is considered doubly blessed to be a witness and a guest at the celestial marriage ceremony.
Right in the north-west corner of the enclosure is the Airakkal Mandap, a magnificent thousand-pillared hall. It has been converted into the temple museum and has an interesting collection of stone and bronze sculptures. It was common practice in such temples to have several bronze images, which were movable (unlike the image in the sanctum which was not), and could be used during festival processions. These images were dressed in fine clothes, covered with jewels, decorated with flowers, and then taken in their gilded chariots though the streets so that devotees could receive a darshan of the divine.
• What's in the neighbourhood
Apart from the great Meenakshi Temple, there are a few other remains of the Nayaka period, including the impressive place constructed nearby (1.2 kilometers south-east). The building has been substantially renovated and reconstructed with throne rooms and grand courtyards.
• How to get there
Madurai has a domestic airport as well as an efficient rail and bus system. There are a number of hotels and guest-houses, and since it is a pilgrimage center there are a wide range of services for visitors. The best time to visit is in the cooler winter months. Following the cycle of the moon special celebrations of the marriage of the goddess Meenakshi are held in the month of Chaitra (March-April).
Madurai Attractions:
Madurai, historic city, Vagai River, Vagai River Festival, goddess Meenakshi, Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple, Mariamman Teppakulam, Vijayanagara dynasty, Nandi Mandap, Viravasantaraya, Golden Lotus Tank, Meenakshi Shrine, Sundareshvara Temple, Kalyana Mandap, Airakkal Mandap, Nayaka period
Madurai Attraction Details:
Narasingam: A very less known place even in Madurai. There is a Temple carved out of Stone dedicated to Lord Narasima Near Othakkadai. Town bus- from [Route N0.75/66] Madurai periyar bus stand.
Thirumohoor: Next to Narasingam On the Madurai Thiruvathavoor Road is the small but beautiful vaishnavaite temple. It has a beautiful Lotus Pond in the backdrop of lush green paddy field. Town bus from [Route No. 66] Madurai periyar bus- stand.
Thiruvathavoor: The birth place of one of the four great saints of Shiva 'Manikavasagar'. There is a beautiful temple here which is built by him. Town bus from [Route No.66] Madurai periyar bus stand.
Nagamalai: Caves where the early Jain saints lived. Town bus from [Route No. 21,55,40] Madurai periyar bus stand.
Theppakulam: Madurai's great tank is another marvel attributed to Thirumalai Nayaka. The square tank has steps, flanked by animal- and bird - shaped balustrades, leading down to the rippling waters. This is the venue of the annual Theppam festival, celebrating the marriage of Shiva and Meenakshi, when their images are taken in illuminated boats to the small pavilion in the centre of the tank.
Tombs of the Madurai Sultan: The sultans of Madurai ruled the city after the invasion in 1310 by Malik Kafur, a general of Alauddin Khilji. They lie buried to the north of the city. The complex includes Alauddin's Mosque, with its flat - roofed prayer hall and tapering octagonal towers, and the tomb of a local Sufi saint, Bara Mastan Sada, built in the 16th century.
Pazhamudhircholai: Situated on a small hillock about 2 kms from Alagarkovil, this is one of the six abodes of Subramanya.
Tiruvadavur: The temple of Vedanadha is set amidst picturesque surroundings, but the village is more famous as the birth place of Kapilar, the sangam poet, and Manickavasagar, the great Pandyan Prime Minister who became a saint. A shrine dedicated to Manickavasagar is here.
Anglican Cathedral: A fine example of Neo-Gothic architecture, this church was designed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm and consecrated in 1881.
How to reach Madurai:
Air: There are daily flights to Madurai from Chennai, Bangalore,Tiruchi & Coimbatore. Madurai Airport is 10 Kms away from Madurai City.
By Train: Madurai is an important railway junction of the Southern Railway and is directly connected to Chennai and Tirunelveli. Madurai is on the Madurai-Tiruchirappalli-Dindigul-Quilon line. The Vaigai Express, which is a super-fast day train between Chennai Egmore and Madurai takes 7 hours for the 495kms.
By Road: There are excellent roads connecting Madurai to all parts of South India. Madurai City has 5 Major Bus Stand..
Where to stay in Madurai:
Hotel Royal Court: 69 Centrally air-conditioned rooms with bath Tub / Shower Cubicle, Direct dialling, Internet Connectivity in all Rooms, WI-FI Connectivity, Safe deposit lockers, Satellite TV, Round the clock room service, Health club, Same day laundry, Doctor on call, Travel desk, Spacious covered car parking, Foreign Exchange.
Hotel Germanus: The Cofee Shop (Opening Shortly), Utsav Multicuisine Restaurant.
Cloud 7 - Permit Room, Confernce and Banquet Halls.
Hotel Chentoor: A Multi-cuisine Veg. Restaurant, Direct Dialling Facility, 45 Luxuriously Furnished, Centralised A/C & Non A/c Rooms.
Hotel M. R. International: (A Unit of the Modern Restaurant Pvt Ltd), Self- service Fast Food & a Deluxe A/C restaurant (both Veg). Direct Dial Phone with STD, T.V & C.C.T.V Connections an all Rooms, 24 Hours Hot & Gold Water, Acceptance of Credit Card, Train / Road / Air booking and car rental, Express Laundry, Doctor on Call, Spacious car parking, A/C & Non A/C Conference Hall.
Tourism Package Covering Madurai
Madurai to Kodaikanal-National-2 Days / 1 Night
Madurai - Kodaikanal-National-3 Days / 2 Nights
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Madurai Related Words:
Month of Chaitra in Madurai, Banks of the Vagai River, Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple, Richly ornamented images of Meenakshi, Sundareshvara, Pandyan rulers, Vijayanagara dynasty, Mariamman Teppakulam, Pudu Mandap, Nandi Mandap, Viravasantaraya, Kaleidoscope of Patterns, Golden Lotus Tank, Airakkal Mandap, Remains of the Nayaka Period, Cultural capital of Tamilnadu, Tamil Nadu, India, Hotel M. R. International, Hotel Chentoor, Hotel Germanus, Hotel Royal Court, Anglican Cathedral, Tiruvadavur, Pazhamudhircholai, Tombs of the Madurai Sultan, Theppakulam, Narasingam
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