Madurai also called the temple city is located in the southern state of Tamilnadu. Situated on the banks of the river Vaigai the beautiful city of Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India. The city is also known by many other different names like ‘the city of jasmine’- for its best harvest of jasmine flowers, ‘the Athens of the East’- for its rich historical, cultural and literary endowment, and ‘the city that never sleeps’- because of its 24x7 work culture. The city is constructed in the form of a lotus and is known as lotus city too.
This historical city is more than 2500 years old and was ruled by the Kalabrahs, the Pandyas, the Cholas, the Delhi Sultanate, and the Nayaks. The history of Madurai is dated back to the Pre Christian Sangam period. After the descent of Sangam age, Madurai was ruled by the Kalabhras Kings after whom it was subsequently ruled by many rulers like the Pandyas, Cholas and Nayaks. Madurai is considered to have been built by Pandyan King Kulasekara in the 6th century BC.
Madurai today is also a centre of learning and is also the home to the widely reckoned ‘Madurai Kamaraj University’. The city is also host to a number of textile industries.
Madurai experiences a hot and dry weather throughout the year. During summer the day temperature reaches up to 40° Celsius. While in winter the temperature varies between 20-25° Celsius. The best time to visit Madurai is from October to March.
Madurai has something for everybody. Because of its unique blend of art, culture, spirituality, technology and entertainment Madurai is one of the major tourist destinations in the south today.
Top Tourist Places to Visit in Madurai
The Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple is a holy temple of Hindus and is a major attraction in Madurai. The enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here as Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi. Within a high-walled enclosure are the two sanctums for Meenakshi and Sundareshwara. There are 12 massive gopurams in the temple. According to the mythology, Lord Shiva visited Madurai to marry Parvati since Madurai had been her sacred abode. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture, sculptors and paintings. The Ayiramkaal Mandapam or the hall of thousand pillars is another major attraction here. Each of these pillars produces a different musical tone when tapped.
Alagar Koil
The temple is the abode of Lord Vishnu situated in the Alagar hills. The temple is known for its beautiful intricate carvings and ornate pillars. Here 'Vishnu' presides as Meenakshi's brother 'Azhgar'.
Gandhi Museum
Gandhi Museum of Madurai was established in the memory of the Mahatma Gandhi and consists of memorabilia of Mahatma Gandhi. This place was earlier the palace of Rani Mangammal of the Nayak dynasty.
Thirumalai Nayak Palace
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built by King Thirumalai Nayak in 1636 AD. This palace is an architectural marvel and depicts beautiful Indo-Sarcenic architecture. The main attraction here is the massive dance hall and the beautiful paintings on the celling depicting Shaivite and Vaishnavite themes. Its dome, which lies beyond a huge courtyard and rises to a height of 20 metres without any support is really spectacular.
Mariamman Theppakulam
This is a beautiful tank in square shape and at the centre of the tank an idol of Lord Vinayaka or Vigneshwara is installed on a platform. The colourful float festival is held here in January or February to celebrate the birth anniversary of Tirumalai Nayakar. The tank is filled with water all year long and water to this tank is fed from the Vaigai River by underground channels.
Thiruparangundram
Located at a distance of 8km south of Madurai is Tirupparankundram. This temple is one of the six holy abodes of lord Subramanya. The temple is an excellent master piece of art.
Koodal Azhaar Temple
The temple is located two kms to the west of Madurai. It is an ancient Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu . Lord Vishnu is in three different poses here- sitting, standing, and reclining. The main deity of the temple is in a sitting posture while above this shrine there are the altars of Sri Ranganatha seen in a reclining pose and Sri Surya-Narayan Perumalseen in a standing pose. The place is noted for its wooden carvings .
Pazhamudhirsolai
This temple is dedicated to Lord Subramaniya. It is one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya and one can find beautiful sculptures of the lord carved in wood and marble.
How to reach Madurai
Madurai has its own railway station which connects to all the major cities in the country. Madurai Airport is located about 10 km from the heart of the city. Madurai airport has flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and many other cities. Nearest international airport is the Chennai airport. There are excellent roads connecting Madurai to all the major cities in South India. Tamilnadu State Road Transport Corporation buses connect Madurai with other cities in Tamilnadu. Many private operators ply AC and non-AC deluxe and sleeper coaches between Chennai and Madurai.
Accommodation
Plenty of accommodation options are available in Madurai to suit different budgets. One can choose from luxury hotels and mid-range hotels to budget hotels.