Madurai lotus city

Madurai: the city famous for Meenakshi Amman Temple

4 years ago

Madurai is the second-largest city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple town situated on the banks of the Vaigai River is one of the oldest inhabited cities. Madurai got its name from the word “Madhura” which means sweetness. Madurai is also known by many other names like “City of Four Junctions”, “Lotus City”, Athens of East, and “Sleepless Beauty”. Each of these names reflects the specialty of the city. The city is called Lotus City because it is built in the shape of a lotus.

The city of Madurai is known for its presence in various religions and cultures. Remains of various religions make it an important pilgrimage place.

The main attraction of Madurai city is the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. This temple is a classic example of Dravidian architecture. The sanctum sanctorum of this temple is 3500 years old and the temple complex is built on about 45 acres of land. This rectangular temple, which is located in the old city of Madurai, is a famous pilgrimage center. There are a total of 27 gopurams in the temple, on which colourful figures of Gods and Goddesses are made. The gopuram in the south is the largest and is 160 feet high. The idol is adorned with precious jewellery by seeing the the devotees get mesmerized.

Meenakshi Temple madurai
Image Credit : Google
Meenakshi Temple Madurai

The most important festival associated with the temple is “Minakshi Thirukalyanam (Divine Marriage of  Devi Minakshi)”, which the locals celebrate every year in the month of April. This marriage practice has also been given the name of “Madurai Marriage”.

Other prominent places to visit in Madurai are Thirumalai Nayakar Temple, Vaigai Dam, Gandhi Museum, Cathedral Church, Kazimar Big Mosque and many more temples.

Image Credit: Google
Thirumalai Nayak Temple

How to reach Madurai

 Madurai’s transport system is well connected to other parts of the country. Madurai Airport is connected to various cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Chennai is the nearest international airport.

 The Madurai railway network is connected to various cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Mysore, Coimbatore, and Chennai. The bus facility is also available from Madurai to various cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, etc.

Weather of Madurai

The weather in Madurai is dry and hot. However, it is advisable to visit this place between the months of October to March. During this time the weather is cool and pleasant and suitable for tourism.

Seema Jain

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