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Vigourously promoting
Tamil literature, art, music and dance since
thousands of years, the Meenakshi Amman Temple in
Tamil Nadu's Madurai is an architectural
masterpiece. The Pandyan King Kulasekarar built the
great temple and thereafter laid the lotus shaped
city of Madurai around the temple.
Accommodation and Connectivity
Being a major tourist attraction of Tamil Nadu,
Madurai is well connected by road, rail and air with
the rest of Tamil Nadu and many destinations of
neighbouring states. Infact, Madurai railway
junction is one of the largest in South India.
The various hotels
and lodges of Madurai fit very well into the purse
of different income groups. But as devotees flock
the temple city regularly, advance booking would be
a good option to avoid accommodation problems on
reaching the place.
The
Meenakshi Temple
History
The original temple was built by Pandyan King
Kulasekara, but the Nayakas meticulously renovated
it later and all the credit for the present
magnificent form of the temple goes to the Nayaks
only. The religious Nayaks ruled Madurai from the
16th to the 18th century and left an imposing legacy
in the form of Meenakshi Temple.
The Deity
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva known as
Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi.
The temple complex is within high enclosures and at
the core are the sanctums of Meenakshi and
Sundareshvara.
Architecture
There are 985 beautifully sculptured pillars that
support the temple. They form the thousand pillar
mandapan hall. The two sanctums of Sundareshvara and
Meenakshi are surrounded by a number of smaller
shrines and grand pillared halls. The 12 gopuras of
the temple are the most impressive. Their soaring
towers are made of solid granite bases and have
paintings of different deities, mythical animals and
monsters. The gopuras are pyramidal gates that rise
to heights exceeding 50 m. The main gopuras indicate
the entrance to the temple complex at four points
and smaller gopuras lead to the sanctum of the
temple. It is worth mentionable that the deities on
the tower are repaired and repainted as part of
rituals every 12 years. The stupendous architecture
of the temple is further enhanced by the golden lily
tank.
The
Festivals
There are many festivals that are celebrated in the
temple. They include the Teppam Festival and
Meenakshi Kalyanam. Meenakshi Kalyanam is the annual
solemnization of the marriage of Meenakshi with Lord
Sundareshvara. Apart from the religious
significance, the magnificent architecture of the
temple is another strong reason to visit the great
temple.
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