Madurai is famous as the temple city and is almost synonymous with the famed Meenakshi Temple. Located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu.Besides displaying its cultural legacy, Madurai has also emerged as a commercial hub, being a well-known producer of textiles and exporter of jasmine flowers.
History of Madurai
According to legend Madhu (divine nectar) was showered from the locks of Lord Shiva and that is how Madurai gets its name. Madurai is mentioned in Megasthenes' Indica as old as the 3rd century BC. The glory of Madurai reached its peak, during the reign of the Cholas and then during the Pandya regime when Madurai was the capital of the Pandya kings in the 13th century. Madurai has retained its cultural heritage. The city was the home of such illustrious institutions as the 'Sangam', which revived and nurtured great works of Tamil poets and artists.
The most prominent tourist attraction in Madurai is the Meenakshi Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Shakti or Meenakshi.It is one of the important centers of Hindu pilgrimage. The Meenakshi temple exemplifies the Dravidian architecture with gopurams (large gateways) and mandapams (multi-pillared halls) covered from top to bottom in an abundance of multi-coloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures.
The temple has a thousand pillared hall with 985 beautifully scultured pillars which is a truly amazing sight.
Other temple attractions in Madurai are the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam with Lord Vigneswara as the presiding deity. The temple hosts the annual Float Festival in January/February.Thirupparankundram, 6 kms southwest of Madurai is one of the six dwellings of Lord Subramanyam and is famous for its cave and rock cut temple built by the Pandyas in the 8th century. Tirumalai Nayak Palace, an Indo-Saracenic building built in 1523 features the architectural works of the Nayaks and gives an insight into ancient Tamil history.
Excursions from Madurai
Excursions from Madurai can be made to quite a number of interesting places around Madurai.If you want to have a picnic, then you should make a trip to the beautiful Vaigai dam, 69 km from Madurai.If you prefer going to the hills, then the best option would be the popular hill resort Kodaikanal, about 120 km from Madurai.For the wild life enthusiast and the adventure seeker, there is the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary situated at a distance of 155 km from Madurai.
Festivals in Madurai
Festivals are celebrated in all twelve Tamil months at Madurai Meenakshi temple. Some of the popular festivals are Chithirai festival celebrated in the months of April - May and Avanimool festival celebrated in the months of September - Ocotber. Other important festivals are the Navarathri Festival and the Float Festival celebrated in the months of January- February.
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