Meenakshi Temple

The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi which means - fish eyed, is considered to be the peak of South Indian temple architecture, as vital to this region’s aesthetic heritage as the Tajmahal to the North India. It’s not so much a 17^th century temple as a 6-hectare complex with 12 tall gopurams, encrusted with a staggering array of gods, goddesses, demons and heroes (1511 on the 55m high south gopuram alone). According to the legend, the beautiful Meenakshi (a version of Parvati) was born with three breasts and the prophecy that her superfluous breast would disappear when she would meet her husband. This happened when she met Shiva and took her place as consort.

Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple is a historic temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai. The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts. This temple is one of the 275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.

The west tower or the gopuram of the temple is the model based on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is designed.

Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple was built by Pandayan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE–1205 CE). He built the main portions of the three-storeyed Gopuram at the entrance of Sundareswarar Shrine and the central portion of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine. The traditional texts call him a poet-saint king; additionally credit him with a poem called Ambikai Malai,

The temple is a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture. The richly sculptured and decorated ‘Gopurams’ of the temple are its major highlight that can be seen from even a far-off distance. Adorned with thousands of figures of gods, goddesses and demons, the Meenakshi Amman Temple is no less than an architectural marvel.

Intricately carved figures and scenes depicted from Indian mythology in the halls add to the artistic charm of the temple. Scenes of ocean of milk being churned by devas and asuras, nine heads Ravana playing veena, Rishi Markandeya hugging Shiva Lingam and wedding ceremony of Sundareswarar & Meenakshi are few of the sculptures worth noticing when you are inside the temple premises.

Though the temple has historic roots, most of the present campus structure was rebuilt after the 14th century CE, further repaired, renovated and expanded in the 17th century by  Tirumala Nayaka. In the early 14th century, the armies of Delhi Sultanate plundered the temple, looted it of its valuables and destroyed the Madurai temple town along with many other temple towns of South India. The contemporary temple is the result of rebuilding efforts started by the Vijayanagar Empire rulers who rebuilt the core and reopened the temple.  In the 16th century, the temple complex was further expanded and fortified by the Nayak ruler Vishwantha Nayakar and others. The restored complex now houses 14 gopurams, ranging from 45–50 m in height, with the southern gopuram tallest at 51.9 metres.

After entering the temple, look around the Pudhu Mandapa. This 16^th Century pillared hall stands outside the Meenakshi Amman Temple, opposite the eastern gopuram. It is crammed with colorful textile and crafts stalls. The main temple entrance is through the eastern gopuram which is the oldest. First, on the right, you will come to the Thousand Pillared Hall, now housing the fascinating Temple Art Museum. Moving on to the temple, you will reach a Nandi shrine surrounded by more beautifully carved columns. Ahead of the main Shiva shrine, flanked on each other side by massive dvarapals, and further ahead of the left, in a separate enclosure, is the main Meenakshi shrine. Move around the Golden Lotus Tank, where small pavilion going out at the western end has ceiling murals depicting

The temple complex is spread over about 14 acres.  The complex has numerous shrines and mandapas, of which the most important and largest are the two parallel shrines in the innermost courtyard, one for Meenakshi Amma and the other for Sundareshvara. Additionally, the complex has a golden lotus sacred pool for pilgrims to take bath; a thousand-pillar hall  with extensive sculpture, the kalyana

The goddess shrine has the green stone image of Meenakshi, standing in bent-leg posture. Her raised hand holds a lotus, on which sits a green parrot. A distinct feature of Meenakshi in terms of iconography is the presence of parrot in her right hand.

The shrine for Sundareswarar is the largest within the complex and its entrance is aligned with the eastern gopuram. The shrine for Meenakshi is smaller, though theologically more important. Both the Meenakshi and Sundareswarar shrines have gold plated Vimanam,tower over sanctum. The golden top can be seen from a great distance in the west through the apertures of two successive towers.