Meenakshi temple

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. The Pandyan king had Kulasekhara built a magnificent temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. It has been a center of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. The legend says that it divinenectar falling from Lord Shiva's locks gave the city its name - 'Madhurapuri', now known as "Madurai".

The Sri Meenakshi temple Sundareswara and Madurai City originated together. The structures that stand today date mostly from the twelfth to the eighteenth century. They occupy a large room, 258-m by 241m. There are two main shrines, no less than twelve Gopuras, a pool and innumerable Mandapas. At every turn there is superb sculpture, magnificent architecture.

The Meenakshi temple complex is one of the largest and certainly one of the oldest. According to legend Madurai is the actual location where the wedding between Shiva andMeenakshi occurred. The gigantic temple complex, the statues exploring the entire spectrum of human emotions, everything here is larger than life. The soaring and exquisitely carved towers enclose the temple dedicated to Meenakashi. The south gateway contains the two temples of Shiva and Meenakshi and is about nine storeys high.

Når Dhananjaya, a merchant of Manavur where Pandya had gone after the second deluge in Kumari Kandam has been overtaken by nightfall in Kadamba forest, spent the night in the Indra Vimana. When the next morning woke him up, he was surprised to see signs of worship. Thinking that it must be the work of the devas, he told the Pandya, Kulasekhara in Manavur of this. Meanwhile Lord Shiva had instructed Pandya in a dream to build a temple and a city on the spot Dhananjaya would indicate. Kulasekhara did. Thus originated the temple and the city.

In the 14th century an invasion by Malik Kafur damaged temple. In the same centuryMadurai was under Muslim rule for nearly fifty years. The temple authorities closed shrine covered up Linga and create another in Ardhamandapa. Since the city was liberated, sanctum was opened, and tradition says flower garlands and sandalwood paste placed on the Linga were as fresh as on the first day and two oil lamps were still burning.

Ashta Sakthi Mandapa:

This Mandapa is a convention in this temple, different from that followed in the other, the devotee offers worship first Goddess Meenakshi. Therefore, while there are four other entrances into the temple, under huge Gopuras in the four cardinal directions, it is customary to enter not through any of them, but through a Mandapa without tower over it. This entrance leads directly to the shrine of the goddess.

This Mandapa is an impressive structure with a hemispherical ceiling. It is 14m long and 5.5m wide. There are bas-reliefs everywhere. Above the entrance one of them depicts the marriage between the Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Somasundara. The Mandapa obtains its name, the "Ashta Sakthi", from the fact it contains sculptures of the eight Sakthis (also spelled as Shakti). Those of the four main Nyanmars was added during the renovation of the temple in 1960 to 1963.

Meenakshi Mandapam Nayakkar:

This floor 42.9m long and 33.5m wide is adjacent to Ashta Shakthi Mandapam. It contains 110 stone columns, each 6.7m high carrying figures in a strange animal with a lion's body and an elephant head called Yalli.

Potramaraukulam (the Golden Lotus Tank):

The temple tank is an ancient tank where devotees take bath in the holy water. The corridors around the tank are rightly called the Chitra Mandapa, the walls carry paintings of the divine sports of the Lord. The area around this tank was the meeting place for the Tamil Sangam - the ancient academy of poets.This academy judged by the value of the work of literature presented before it by throwing it into the tank. Only those who did not sink were considered worthy of attention. The tank is surrounded by a pillar-held corridor. Steps leading down to the tank, so worshipers to take baths in it.

The Thousand Pillar Mandapam:

It is "strange for the place ', actually the number of columns count to the 985th Each pillar is sculptured and is a monument of Dravidan sculpture. There is a Temple Art Museum in this 1000 pillars hall where you can see icons, photographs, drawings etc ., exhibiting 1,200 years old history. There are so many other smaller and larger mandapams in thetemple. Just outside this mandapam, to the west, are musical pillars. Each pillar when the stack, Produces a different musical notes.

Vasantha Mandapam:

This mandapam was built by Thirumalai Nayakkar. Vasanthosavam - the spring festival is celebrated in this mandapam in Vaikasi (April / May). Its pillars contain produce sculptures of Shiva, Meenakshi, scenes from their wedding and figures for ten of Nayak Kings and their spouses. This is also called Pudhu Mandapam.

Oonjal Mandapam:

Two Mandapas it Unjal (swing) and Kilikatti (parrot cage) is on the western side of the tank. On their ceilings are more paintings. The Kiliatti Mandapa has on its walls the carvings of the divine sports. The most ornamental of the temple's Mandapas, it was constructed in the 1623rd

Every Friday is the golden idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar sitting on swing in Oonjal Mandapam and hymns are sung as deities gaily swing to and fro. Parrots in Kilikoontu Mandapam have been trained to repeat Meenakshi's name. But more interesting are the 28 pillars of mandapam which displays some excellent sculptures of figures from Hindu mythology.

Swami Sundareswarar Shrine:

Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva) the consort of Goddess Meenakshi is to the north of Kilikoontu Mandapam. On your way you can worship a gigantic idol of Sri Ganesh called Pillaiyar Mukkurini. When the king Thirumalai Nayakar excavated a temple tank 3 km fromMeenakshi temple he unearthed this idol of Vinayaka and erected the same here.

In the outer pragaram (corridor outside the main shrine) there is stump of the kadamba tree, said to be a part of the same tree under which Indra worshiped Shiva Linga. Also in the outer corridor is the Kadambathadi Mandapam and big hall called 'Velli Ambalam. Here is an idol of Nataraja (Shiva as Lord of Dance) seen. This idol of Nataraja is covered with silver leaf. Therefore, the Chamber referred to as Ambalam Velli (Silver Hall) ..

The famous festivals held at Madurai, include Teppam festival, the annual Float Festival, in which the images of Sri Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswara (also spelled as Sundreshwara) are mounted on floats, and taken to Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank, where for some days they are pulled back and forth across the water in the middle of the idea of a lighting strip adorned with flowers, before being brought back to the main temple.

Meenaskhi Kalyanam, the wedding festival of the Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar celebrated for twelve days starting on the second day of the lunar month (ie two days after new moon). This is a spectacular festival celebrated in the month of Chaitra (April-May). The festival is marked by royal decorated umbrellas, fans, and traditional instrumental music. Scenes from mythology are adopted and the deities of Lord Shiva, Goddess Shakti and Goddess Meenakshi is removed in a colorful procession. Thousands of devotees from across the country gather in the city of Madurai on that occasion.