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About Kerala

Madurai

Madurai is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai and is the most important cultural centre of the state. Madurai has derived its name from the divine nectar "Madhu". It is also known as the "Athens of the East" and is a place that has historical and cultural importance. One of the most popular of all monuments and worship places in Madurai is the Madurai Meenakshi Temple situated in the heart of the town and it is visited by thousands of devotees and tourists throughout the year. Some of the other main attractions in Madurai are Mariamman Teppakulam, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal and the Gandhi Museum. The best time to visit Madurai is during winter. Madurai has a hot and humid climate during the summers and therefore summer is not considered the best time to visit.

Tourist Attractions

Meenakshi Amman Temple

One of the most famous temples in India is the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. It has been playing an active part in promoting Tamil literature, art, music and dance for decades. The Madurai Meenakshi Temple is an architectural masterpiece and had been built by the pandyan King Kulasekarar. It is believed that after the construction of the temple, the city of Madurai was laid around the temple. The credit for the present glory of the temple goes to the Nayakas. It was the Nayakas who renovated the temple. The Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. Meenakshi is the other name for Parvati. The temple has high enclosures around it and the main sanctums of Meenakshi and Sundareshvara or Shiva is situated at the core. There are around 985 sculptured pillars that supports the temple. These pillars form the thousand pillar mandapam hall. There are a number of smaller shrines and pillared halls around the main sanctums of Sundareshvara and Meenakshi. The most impressive construction in the temple is the 12 gopurams which are huge towers made of solid granite bases. These gopurams are pyramidal gates and they rise to a height of over 50 ms. There are paintings of different deities, mythical animals and monsters on these towers. These gopuras indicate the temple entrance at four points and there are smaller gopuras that lead to the sanctum of the temple.

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

The Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is yet another attraction of Madurai. It is situated at a distance of around 5 kms from the Meenakshi Amman Temple. It is basically a tank, the area is which is equal to the area of the Meenakshi temple. There is an island pavilion with a garden in the centre and is one of the largest temple tanks in South India. The water supply for the tank is from the Vaigai River. There is a Vinayakar temple situated in the middle of the tank, which is dedicated to Lord Vigneshwara. The annual float festival of the temple held in January and February is the most attractive feature of the Teppakulam.

Tirumalai Nayak Palace

Tirumalai Naik Palace attracts many a number of tourists. It is a 17th century palace was built by King Tirumalai Nayak, one of the Madurai Nayak rulers in 1636 AD. The palace is a fusion of Dravidian, Islamic and European styles. The sound and light shows held here are an attraction for the tourists. Another attractive palace here is the Gandhi museum dedicated to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

Azhagar Koyil

The Azhagar Koyil is located about 25 kms from the city. It is a holy shrine and is surrounded by hills. The idol worshiped here represents lord Kallazhagar. The most important festival of this temple is the Tamil new year festival called Chittirai Thiruvizha. There is a Badhri Narayanan temple which has been built like the Badrinath temple at Mount Kailash. Here the idol represents Lord Mahavishnu in a meditative posture flanked by Nara-Narayan.

Kazimar Periya Pallivasal

Another important place to visit is the famous mosque, Kazimar Periya Pallivasal. It is located at the heart of the Madurai city. This mosque was constructed by Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajuddin who came from Oman during the late 12th century. The land for construction of this mosque was given by the then King Ku Pandiyan. This is the first ever Muslim place of worship in Madurai. The mosque has been managed since then by the descendants of Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajuddin and they have lived in the same locality for 700 years.

Travel

Air: Madurai Airport is located approximately 9 kilometers from the Madurai Railway station. It currently has connecting flights to Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai airports.

Rail: The railway station at Madurai is one of the busiest in the country and is one of the best maintained stations in the country.

Road: Madurai is well connected with the rest of the country by a large network of roads. There is the Golden Quadrilateral and the four lane highway to Chennai.

Related Topics

Tamil Nadu

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