In The Temple Town Of Madurai – Meenakshi Temple
Madurai, in Tamil Nadu, is a typical temple town. The most famous one is the Meenakshi Sundareshwara twin Temple. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. The temple was initially built by King Kulashekara Pandyan. But it was rebuilt and beautified under the orders of the Nayaks, who ruled Madurai between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The temple has two sanctums-for Meenakshi and for Sundareshwar. The temple has 12 gopuras (gateways), all adorned with sculptures of deities and mythical beings. There is a golden lotus pond in the premises where devotees bathe. In ancient times it was used as a meeting point for literary artistes and poets.
The 1,200-year-old Thousand Pillar Mandapam contains 985 pillars decorated with paintings and images from history and mythology. To the west of this structure are the Musical Pillars. Each of them are said to sound a musical note if you strike them.
The temple and its surroundings come alive with activity during festivals. Madurai is easily reachable from cities in Kerala as well as from Chennai and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The airport is just 10km from the city centre. There are daily flights and trains connecting Madurai with other Indian cities.
