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Lost In the World of the Fish-Eyed Goddess
For centuries the effulgence of her blessings has bathed her countless devotees. Located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River the Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil has been the home of the beloved goddess Meenakshi, another avatar of the goddess Shakti, since the 6th century. Enshrined in the adjoining temple is her consort, Sundareshwarar, a manifestation of lord Shiva.
While both are the object of intense worship, strangely enough, Lord Shiva takes a back seat here in Madurai, with Goddess Meenakshi reigning as the supreme deity.
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At the very heart of the ancient city of Madurai is the Meenakshi Temple. As tradition has it the origins of the temple were truly auspicious. Lord Indra, God of the wind, had erected a small tower to cover a naturally formed small stone linga. The site drew many other deities to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva. Soon human devotees showed up when Dhananjaya a farmer who was witness to this miraculous worship shared this with the ruler of the time, Kulashekhara Pandya. This resulted in a proper shrine being erected around the lingam by the ruler after the old forest was cleared away. This happened over 3,500 years ago….and the streams of devotees heading to the temple are unabated to this day.
There’s a wonderful story about the goddess herself. Meenakshi was born to the ruler Kulashekhara Pandya, who had prayed for a son who would be his heir. To add to his anguish the girl child was born with three breasts. 
The gods calmed him down and urged him to raise the child as a warrior as she would more than make up for the son he longed for. Complying with their wishes Kulashekhara Pandya spared no effort during her growing years in transforming her into a warrior par excellence. Meenakshi’s conquests and bravery became legendary. It was during her attempt to conquer the region of the north, the location of Mt Kailash, that she was stopped by Lord Shiva. As predicted by the gods her third breast miraculously fell off when she saw him on the battlefield and fell in love with him. Lord Vishnu presided over their wedding. Together Shiva and Meenakshi made Madurai their home
Dedicated to their union the temple as we see it today dates to the days of the Nayak dynasty (16th-17th century). The vibrantly painted 15-tiered shrine is awash with 30,000 sculptures. Spread over 700,000 sq ft, the massive complex with its many towers and torans features a cavalcade of subsidiary shrines around the two principal temples from where the Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva rule the hearts of devotees of Madurai. The Meenakshi temple with its subsidiary shrine also features a bed chamber.
The sanctum of the Sundareshwarar, apart from the hallowed linga also features a symbolic manifestation of the Lord; it’s known as Cokkar, the feet of the god. Each night the Cokkar is ceremonially brought to the bed chamber located in the Meenakshi temple, to symbolize their union as husband and wife.
The striking feature of the complex is the massive mandapam, the Aiyaram Kal Mandapa, or Thousand Pillared Hall located at the northeast end. These ornate pillars are filmed all over with rich carvings of deities, demons, and sacred animals. Though earlier used as an assembly hall for audiences, and performances of sacred dances and music recitals, it is now a museum of superb exhibits of sculptures paintings, and other historic temple artifacts of significance.
Another significant feature, the 14 gopurams or towers, which serve as the gateways of the temple blow visitors away with their stunning ornamentation. There are four principals Raja Gopurams. Progressing in height successively (from 4550m with the southern gopura tallest at 51.9 m), as one walks away from the principal shrines, these gateway towers are covered with a multitude of bright-hued sculpted deities and demonic figures, gargoyles, and mounts of the deities.
The faithful arriving in droves take a purification dip in the sacred waters of the colonnaded Pottamarai Kulam or Golden Lotus Pond before entering the sacred presence of the deities in the sanctum sanctorum of both shrines. Lakhs of pilgrims and visitors converge on the temple during the annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam Festival, high pageantry accompanies the annual chariot (ratha) festival held in April/May.
Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the inner sanctums.
The bazaar inside the temple complex is always abustle as devotees pick up flowers, fruits, etc as offerings. Visitors can choose from a range of souvenirs and religious reliquaries as well
Jasmine Capital of India
An irresistible part of the temple experience is the all-pervasive scent of jasmine (Madurai malliga) that suffuses the site. Wandering around Madurai city, recognised today as the jasmine capital of India, you are bound to be assailed by the evocative fragrance of this iconic bloom which is replicated in many ways in everyday life– even in its art forms. This ancient connection with the city acquired the GI tag in 2013 and is a protected floral species.
Historic Legacies
When you have had your fill of the Goddess Meenakshi’s all-pervasive presence, you should take time to explore some of Madurai’s other allurements. Madurai itself became an important commercial hub back in the 3rd century BC, the traveller Megasthanes is said to have visited the city which went on to have trade ties with Rome and Greece during the times of the Pandya kings. The Cholas, old rivals of the Pandyas wrested Maduari in the 10th century but were forced to relinquish their hold on it to return it to them back in 1223 CE. In 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai with its riches became a provincial treasure house of the Delhi empire, under the Tughlaks.
Subsequently, Madurai’s fortunes came to be linked with the Vijayanagar kingdom, being administered by governors or Nayaks. On the death of Vijayanagara’s iconic ruler Krishna Deva Raya in 1530 CE, the Nayaks broke away to become independent rulers of territories under their control. A prominent figure amongst these was Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) to whom are ascribed many of Madurai’s magnificent structures including the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, the Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Pudu Mandapam. In 1781, the British rulers marked their rule here by appointing George Procter as the first collector of Madurai.
Thirumalai Nayakar Palace was raised as a befitting residence for the ruler in 1636 CE when the capital was shifted to Madurai from Trichy, the palace is a fusion of Dravidian and Rajput architectural components. It is one of the most illustrious structures of the Nayaka rulers in the city. The complex is marked by two areas of interest: Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa. Cobbled together are an array of attractive features including gardens, royal quarters, theatres, temples, an armoury, and waterbodies. The shift of the capital marked a fresh beginning for the Nayaka rule. You should stay back for the nightly sound and light show.
St Maryês Cathedral A fusion of another kind greets you here. In the church, a Catholic Mary is adorned in an Indian saree!
Mariamman Teppakulam Temple Just a short walking distance away from the Meenakshi Temple complex was raised in honour of Lord Vigneshwara.
Ayyanar Temple Visiting a local Ayyanar Temple, should be very much on your to-do list. What you’ll discover here is a narrative of unique worship from a very ancient Dravidian rural cult. Passing by a potter’s workroom you’ll find a mass of multi-hued clay dolls and horses lined up for purchase. This ancient Tamil village tradition involves the of worship of a moustachioed horseback warrior or the ‘brave one’ (‘veeran’) who brandishes a trident and fights off demons and protects the villagers. These terracotta horses are also objects of worship for good rainfall and a bounteous harvest in rural areas.
ACCOMMODATION
Madurai has a good selection of stay options, from starred hotels to guesthouses to match all budgets.
ACCESS
Air: Madurai Airport is located at Avaniyapuram, about 12 km from the city. It offers domestic flights to select cities in India. The airport has international flights and services to Colombo, Dubai and Singapore.
Rail: Madurai Jn is the principal railhead and is connected to major metros and cities across India.
Road: Madurai District is well connected with the National Highways NH 7, NH 45B, NH 208, and NH 49 passing through Madurai.
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