Location : Tamil
Nadu
Historical Significance: Remained The
Capital Of Pandayan Empire Till 14th Century.
Main Attractions: Meenakshi Temple, Koodal
Azhagar Temple, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal
Festive Attractions: Meenakshi Kalyanam In
April-May And The Teppam Festival
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.
Madurai's Pilgrimage -
Meenakshi Temple
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 ATTRCATIONS
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.
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.
Vandiyur Kanmoy Tourist
Complex
This is an ideal picnic spot with
TTDC providing boathouses restaurants services.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
WHERE TO STAY
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.
OTHER TOURIST INFO
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
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.
|
