Referred as the largest temple complex in Tamil Nadu, Meenakshi Amman Temple is one of the top pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu and among the popular temples in South India. Also called as Madurai Meenakshi Temple, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Siva which was shortlisted among the top 30 nominees for New Seven Wonders of the World. Situated on the banks of the Vaigai River, this temple is grand, both in terms of its architecture and historical and religious significance, and draws thousands of tourists throughout the year as part of Madurai Tour Packages. If you are interested in visiting, take a look at some of the most intriguing facts about the Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai.
1. The 33,000 Sculptures
Meenakshi Temple is largely visited by Tamil Hindus to worship the Sunderashwar and Meenakshi as part of Tamilnadu tour packages. The most interesting feature of this colorful temple is the presence of around 33000 sculptures in it. However, the temple is especially famed for its vast sculpture of the Nataraja built on a silver altar. Considered an architectural marvel, this sacred temple has over 14 gateway towers or Gopurams and two beautifully ornate golden Vimanas.
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2. Built by Indra Deva
The Meenakshi Temple is the epicenter of the city of Madurai. According to Hindu scriptures, it was Indra who built a shrine for the lingam he was carrying to atone for his misdeeds. It is where the current temple stands in Madurai, among the top places to visit near Chennai. The Meenakshi Temple was built by Kulashekara Pandya and was rebuilt by the first Nayak king of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1559-1600). However, the current structure was expanded during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak between 1623 and 1655 CE. It has gone through renovation many times since, with a complete restoration happening once every 12 years.
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3. Built according to Shilpa Shastra
Built according to Shilpa Shastra, it is one of the most impressive temple structures in South India. Covers an area of 15 acres, the temple complex is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular enclosures, and has four entrances, each facing one of the four cardinal directions. The temple has 14 gopurams, with the tallest one standing at a height of 52 m. The gopurams are adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures depicting various mythological stories and characters. There are two sanctums at the core of the temple for Meenakshi and Sundareswarar surrounded by a number of smaller shrines and grand pillared halls. The temple has a golden lotus tank, which is believed to have been created by Lord Shiva himself.
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4. Hall of Thousand Pillars
The Hall of Thousand Pillars is a spectacular architectural piece that is said to have been built out of a single rock. The hall was built in 1569 by Ariyanatha Mudaliar, the prime minister and general of Viswanatha Nayak, the first Nayaka of Madurai (1559–1600). Also known as Aayiram Kaal Mandapam, this is the largest hall in the temple which has huge statues of Nataraja and Sivakami in the center. Each pillar in the hall is a carved monument of the Dravidian sculpture and the most important among them are of Rati (wife of Kama), Ganesha, Karthikeya, an endless number of yalis (mythical figures of lions), and Shiva as a wandering mendicant.
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5. The Idol of Meenakshi
Meenakshi Amman Temple is one of the popular shrines in Madurai dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Goddess Parvati. The idol of Meenakshi has three breasts as Parvati was born with three breasts. The third breast will vanish once she meets the right man of her life. Carved in an emerald-hued stone, the eyes of the idol are unbelievably large, beautiful, and mysterious which is true to the name Meenakshi which means “Fish eyed”.
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6. Meenakshi Tirukalyanam Festival
Meenaskhi Kalyanam, the wedding festival of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara is one of the most popular festivals of Madurai and also one of the widely celebrated fairs and festivals in Tamil Nadu. Legend says that, once Lord Shiva visited Madurai to tie the nuptial knots with Meenakshi and this tradition has continued since then. Also known as the Chithirai Festival, it is a twelve-day event that begins on the second day of the lunar month. Characterized with royal decorated umbrellas, fans, and traditional instrumental music, the scenes from mythology are enacted and the deities of Lord Shiva, and Goddess Meenakshi are taken out in a colorful procession on the streets of Madurai in the ‘Pushpa Pallakku’ and ‘Yaanai Vahanam’ that attracts thousands of devotees from across the globe as part of Madurai Tour from Chennai.
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