Madurai or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and second
largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was
the capital of Pandyan rulers till the 14th century. The Pandyan king,
Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus
shaped city. Mythology says when city was being named; Lord Shiva blessed
the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion some Divine nectar ("Madhu")
fell from the matted locks of Shiva and hence the city was named "Madhurapuri".
This sacred town of south attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from
India as well as abroad.
The life of Madurai revolves around the
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. This magnificently carved temple is
the main attraction of Madurai and its huge Gopurams towers over the city.
Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'. Precisely there are
985 pillars and each of them is delicately and exquisitely carved. Among
these are the musical pillars,
which
produce music when tapped. Surprisingly, these musical pillars are carved
out of a single granite rock. The temple has been a hub of Tamil culture
and has been sponsoring literature, art, music, and dance in the region
for a long time. The temple also has an art museum. The city apart from
temple is crammed with shops, street markets and temples, pilgrims
choultries, hotels and restaurants. Though Madurai is considered as
pilgrimage but it has also developed as a business centre and is famed for
its traditional handicrafts in bronze and brass.
Prime Attractions of Madurai
§ Meenakshi Amman Temple : An excellent example
of Dravidian Architecture, the Meenakshi Temple attracts devotees from all
over India and Tourist from all over the world. One can climb to the
southern Gopuram of the temple to get a great view of the city.
§ Vandiyur Kanmoy Tourist Complex : This is an
ideal picnic spot with TTDC providing boathouses restaurants services.
§ Vanditur Mariamman Teppakulam : This huge tank
is covers an area equal to the six of Meenakshi temple. Tirumalai Nayak
built it in 1646. It is said that channels from the Vaigai River connect
the tank. Today, this tank remains empty for most of the year except
during the Teppam Festival.
§ Thirumalai Nayak Mahal : This palace is an
excellent example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture. It was built in 1523 AD
and originally was four times larger than what it is today. The gardens,
the defensive wall all have gone and what remains are the main entrance
gate, the dancing hall and the main hall. Lord Napier renovated the palace
in 1866-72 and later further restoration works were carried on. Today, the
main attraction of the palace is light and sound show, which is based on
the life of "Tirumalai Nayak" and "Silapathikaram".
§ Koodal Azhaar Temple : One of the most ancient
temples in Madurai, Koodal Azhagar temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In
this temple he is seen in various postures sitting, standing, reclining
one over the other. There are intricate woodcarvings in here, including
one of Lord Rama's coronation.
§ Azhagar Koil : This temple is dedicated to
Lord Vishnu and is located 18-km northeast of Madurai on a picturesque
hilltop. The gold image of Azhagar travels for the Celestial marriage
during the Chithirai festival.
§ Pazhamudhirsolai : On the same hills of
Azhagar Koilthis is again one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.
§ The Gandhi Museum : The museum was initially
the palace of Rani Mangammal. It gives a clear account of the history of
Independence movement of India. This museum also tells some little known
facts about Gandhiji but the real piece of Gandhi Memorabilia is the blood
stained Dhoti, which he was wearing at the time of his assassination. The
local government museum is also situated over here. The small bookshop
offers plenty of reading material from Gandhiji's works.
§ Thirupparankundram : This is one of the abodes
of Lord Sundareshwara, a rock cut temple carved out of a mountain, just
8-km from the city.
Fairs & Festival in Madurai
Most important festival of Madurai is the sacred wedding ceremony of
Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar. This festival is held during
March -April. During this festival the city displays a colourful and
joyous mood. Images of the divine couple are taken around the city in a
tastefully decorated chariot, amidst the presence of a huge gathering of
devotees. The notes of Nadaswaram and drums further aggravate the festive
ambience.
The annual float festival marks the images of Meenakshi and her consort
floating on the Mariamman tank on an illuminated raft bedecked with
flowers. As such there are festivals throughout the year in Madurai. All
most 11 big annual festivals are celebrated in Madurai, which are spread
through the year with exception of the monsoon months.
Places to stay in Madurai
Madurai has got a wide range of accommodation, varying from reasonable
ones to luxurious that cater for the flocks of pilgrims and tourists. Most
of the reasonable places to stay are located at Town Hall Road and West
Perumal Maistry Street, not far from the railway station.
How to Get There
Air : Madurai has its own airport and there are
flights, which connect the city with Chennai, Tiruchirappalli. The airline
services have at least one flight daily from Madurai to Chennai. From
there one can take flight to anywhere in India.
Rail : Madurai has one of the major railway junctions
of South India. It is connected with the all the major tourist as well as
religious places in Tamil Nadu. Though there are not many trains, which
connect the city with major cities of India such as, Madurai is easily
accessible from any part of the nation.
Road : There are good motorable roads, which connect
this, second largest city of Tamil Nadu with other parts of the state as
well as other places in India. Madurai has five bus stands, which cater to
the needs of the people.
