| 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.
|
