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Shree Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple
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Every day, the Meenakshi Temple attracts pilgrims in thousands, from all over India. The temple is named after the daughter of a Pandyan king who, according to legend, was born with three breasts. At the time of the birth, the king was told that the extra breast would disappear, when she met the man she was supposed to marry, and this happened when she met Lord Shiva on Mount Kailas. Shiva arrived in Madurai, later, in the form of Lord Sundereswara, and married her.
The Meenakshi temple is an excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams or multi pillared halls, covered from top to bottom, in a profusion of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple occupies an area of around six hectares, and has four entrances to it. The museum called the Temple Art Gallery, is located within the temple and contains beautiful stone and brass images, examples of South Indian scripts, friezes and attempts to explain the Hindu pantheon and many other legends associated with it.
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Aayirankaal Mandapam (Thousand Pillar Hall)
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This is considered the most famous & largest Mandapam of this holy temple. This 1000 pillared Mandapam was constructed in the 16th century A.D. by the Minister cum general of Viswanatha Naicker. The statue of him is seen in one of the pillars of this Mandapam. In the centre of this Mandapam is situated a large statue of Lord Nataraja. This is also called the "Chitra Sabha". In the over head dome of this Mandapam is seen the depiction of a circle denoting all the 64 years of the Tamil Years. In front, the idols of Kannappar, Pitchadanar, Chandramathi, Kurava & Kurathy are situated. Inside the Mandapam there are 985 pillars only. In the place of the balance 15 pillars there are 2 sub temples.
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It is very beautiful to see the pillars in a straight line viewed from any anlge. In a corner of this Mandapam we find two pillars giving the seven tunes of the music (if hit slightly by a hard object like a stone). In the Mandapam, the statue of the goddess Saraswathi, carved very finely, showing her muscular hands with sharp nails is situated. The statue of Rathi in her Anna Vaganam (Chariot) is a master piece of stone sculpturing and musical resoundings. If you hit slightly the various parts you can hear several musical tones. The statue of Veera Bhadra is also made in this fashion.
An art gallery is in exhibition in this Mandapam. Artistically beautiful, the idols of the deities look divine. The arnaments on the sculptures & the arrangements depit the civilization of those days. We can also see the ancient articles in display.
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Other Attractions
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About a kilometre away from the temple is the Tirumalai Nayak Palace, which was built in 1636, by the ruler, after whom it has been named. Much of the palace has now fallen into ruins, and only the entrance gate, main hall and dance hall remain. Gandhi Museum provides some of the little - known facts about Mahatma Gandhi. It has the blood - stained dhoti worn by Mahatma Gandhi, at the time of his assassination.
Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank, few kilometres east of the old city, is the site for Teppam Festival (Float Festival) in the months of January and February.
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Festivals
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The famous festivals held at Madurai, include Teppam festival, the annual Float Festival, wherein the images of Shree Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswara are mounted on floats, and taken to Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank, where for several days they are pulled back and forth across the water in the middle of the tank, on an illuminated raft embellished with flowers, before being taken back to the main temple.
Chithirai festival held during March-April, celebrates the marriage of Shree Meenakshi to Lord Sundereswara. On the occasion, an elaborately decorated chariot bearing the images of the divine couple, is taken around the city. The resounding notes of the nadaswaram and the drums, creates a vibrant ambience. Avanimoola festival is held in late August-early September, when temple cars are drawn around the streets of Madurai.
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How to get there?
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Air: There are daily flights to and from Tiruchirapalli, Madras and Bangalore.
Rail: There are train connections to Madurai from Madras, which takes eight hours via Trichy and from Rameshwaram, takes six hours. If you approach Madurai from Kerala, some spectacular scenes of the Western Ghats can be viewed.
Bus: There is very good service from Madurai to most of the major cities in the state. State run or private buses commute at regular intervals.
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Where to stay?
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In the pilgrim city of Madurai, there are lots of inexpensive hotels. Good, clean and economical hotels can be found along Town Hall Road and Dindigul Road. The two premier hotels in town are across the Vaigai River, along Alagatkoil Road. These two hotels are Hotel Madurai Ashok (Tel : +91-452-242531, Fax: 242530) and Pandyan Hotel (Tel : +91-452-242470,
Fax: 242020) and Taj Garden Retreat (Tel: 2601020, Fax: 288601).
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Content & Photo source: madurai.com, maduraionline.com, maduraicorporation.com |
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