I was humbled before the magnificent Madurai Meenakshi Temple in the centre of Madurai. Surrounded by age-old whispers and ageless traditions, every prayer reverberates across eternity and every stone radiates spirituality.
I felt comfort in its holy embrace, giving in to the heavenly music that echoed through its hallowed corridors. Over the decades, millions of pilgrims have been drawn to the towering Gopurams.
About Madurai Meenakshi and the Temple
The Madurai Meenakshi Temple, situated in the Tamil Nadu state of India, is an ancient Hindu temple also referred to as the Meenakshi Amman Temple or the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Dedicated to the deity Meenakshi, an incarnation of the Hindu deity Parvati, and her spouse Lord Sundareswarar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, it is one of the most well-known and important temples in South India.
Meenakshi is the “fish-eyed goddess” and a manifestation of Goddess Parvati. Sundareswara, the “beautiful lord”, is a manifestation of the great deity Shiva. The true heart of Madurai is the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple, which commemorates the love of Princess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar.
Quick Information
| Nearest Airport | Madurai – (IXM) Approximately 10 Kms |
| Travel Time from Madurai airport | Approximately 30 mins |
| Travel Option from Madurai Airport | Uber cab, Ola Cabs or Private taxi services are available |
| Nearest Railway Station | Madurai (Station Code – MDU), Approximately 2 Kms |
| Travel Time from Railway Station | Approximately 10 Minutes |
| Travel Options | Taxi, Bus, Autorikshaw |
| Nearest Bus Station | Madurai Bus Station is well connected with major towns |
| Dress Code | Traditional Indian dress. Men in Dhoti and women in Churidar or Saree |
| Temple Timings | 05:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 09:00 PM |
There are a lot of government-authorised guides available there at the temple. I tried one of them. He was good and I was able to better understand the heritage and the legends from him. Most of them are fluent in Hindi and English. And they do not over-charge. It’s worth taking their service to better understand the rich heritage.
There are locker facilities available to keep the mobile phones and leather wallets as both are strictly prohibited inside Madurai Meenakshi Temple.
Deity at Madurai Meenakshi Temple
The Madurai Meenakshi Temple has two shrines, one for goddess Meenakshi (Goddess Parvathi) and another for god Sundareshwara (God Shiva). The goddess shrine has a green stone while the Sundareshawara shrine has a stone Linga. Although the temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi Amman, the Sundareshwara shrine is the largest there.
Architectural beauty of Madurai Meenakshi Temple
The Madurai Meenakshi Temple complex stands in a 14 acre land parcel, with majestic 14 Gopuras (Gateway Towers) the tallest of which is 170 ft. Each Gopuram is a multi-layered structure with sculptures painted in bright colors. It’s a treat to our eyes. I stood and gazed at the Gopurams, trying to understand how skillfully they did it when machinery nor technology was not available.
The Ayiram Kal Madapa (Thousand Pillar Hall), as a matter of fact only 985 pillars, is another architectural marvel there. Each pillar is a sculpture in itself! There are a lot of such Mandapas in the temple complex where pilgrims take a rest.
Aside from the Mandapams and Gopurams, the sacred lake with a golden lotus, where you can have a ceremonial bath, a wedding hall, numerous tiny shrines, gardens, and elephant stalls, should not be missed.
The Goddess Meenakshi or Parvati idol is made of greenish stone. It’s stunningly gorgeous, holy, and has flashing pupils as though the Goddess was still alive. The temple is purportedly dedicated to the Goddess of Menstruation. Parvati was formed with three breasts, thus the goddess has three as well. It was a curse that the third breast would vanish when she met her man.
Festivals
The Meenakshi Thirukalyanam (Meenakshi Wedding) is a 12-day festival attracting a huge crowd. This happens every year in the month of April, which I missed.
Apart from this, there are festivals every month conducted at Madurai Meenakshi Temple as per the Tamil calendar. To name a few other festivals – Vasantham festival, Unjal Festival, Mulai-Kottu festival, the Aavani Moolam Aavani, Kolattam festivals of Ayppasi, Arudhra Dharsan festival, the Masi utsavam and Vasamtham utsavam. Navrathri is also celebrated with grand festivities.
Darshan
It’s always good to have some time in hand for Darshan, as the crowd cannot be predicted. Early hours are the best because it gets really hot by 8 am or 9 am.
Accommodation Options
Since Madurai is a tourist destination you can find accommodation in all budgets. I stayed in Fortune Pandian in Madurai town itself. It was a pleasant stay, and even the Vegetarian food they served was good. There are umpteen number of restaurants with fine dining available.
Note – There is a pilgrim circuit Rameshwaram – Madurai Meenakshi – Kanyakumari. It is worth a try if you have enough time in hand.
