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Madurai or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and
second largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city
is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers till the
14th century. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple
around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was
being named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious
occasion some Divine nectar ("Madhu") fell from the matted locks
of Shiva and hence the city was named "Madhurapuri". This sacred
town of south attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as
well as abroad.
Madurai's
Pilgrimage - Meenakshi Temple
The life of Madurai revolves around the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar
temple. This magnificently carved temple is the main attraction of Madurai
and its huge Gopurams towers over the city.
Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'. Precisely there
are 985 pillars and each of them is delicately and exquisitely carved.
Among these are the musical pillars, which produce music when tapped.
Surprisingly, these musical pillars are carved out of a single granite
rock. The temple has been a hub of Tamil culture and has been sponsoring
literature, art, music, and dance in the region for a long time. The
temple also has an art museum. The city apart from temple is crammed with
shops, street markets and temples, pilgrims choultries, hotels and
restaurants. Though Madurai is considered as pilgrimage but it has also
developed as a business centre and is famed for its traditional
handicrafts in bronze and brass.
Meenakshi
Amman Temple
An excellent example of Dravidian Architecture, the Meenakshi Temple
attracts devotees from all over India and Tourist from all over the world.
One can climb to the southern Gopuram of the temple to get a great view of
the city.
Koodal Azhaar Temple
One of the most ancient temples in Madurai, Koodal Azhagar temple is
dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In this temple he is seen in various postures
sitting, standing, reclining one over the other. There are intricate
woodcarvings in here, including one of Lord Rama's coronation.
Vandiyur Kanmoy Tourist Complex
This is an ideal picnic spot with TTDC providing boathouses restaurants
services.
Thirumalai Nayak Mahal
This palace is an excellent example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture. It was
built in 1523 AD and originally was four times larger than what it is
today. The gardens, the defensive wall all have gone and what remains are
the main entrance gate, the dancing hall and the main hall. Lord Napier
renovated the palace in 1866-72 and later further restoration works were
carried on. Today, the main attraction of the palace is light and sound
show, which is based on the life of "Tirumalai Nayak" and "Silapathikaram".
Vanditur Mariamman Teppakulam
This
huge tank is covers an area equal to the six of Meenakshi temple.
Tirumalai Nayak built it in 1646. It is said that channels from the Vaigai
River connect the tank. Today, this tank remains empty for most of the
year except during the Teppam Festival.
The Gandhi Museum
The museum was initially the palace of Rani Mangammal. It gives a clear
account of the history of Independence movement of India. This museum also
tells some little known facts about Gandhiji but the real piece of Gandhi
Memorabilia is the blood stained Dhoti, which he was wearing at the time
of his assassination. The local government museum is also situated over
here. The small bookshop offers plenty of reading material from Gandhiji's
works.
Thirupparankundram
This is one of the abodes of Lord Sundareshwara, a rock cut temple carved
out of a mountain, just 8-km from the city.
Azhagar Koil
This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is located 18-km northeast of
Madurai on a picturesque hilltop. The gold image of Azhagar travels for
the Celestial marriage during the Chithirai festival.
Pazhamudhirsolai
On the same hills of
Azhagar Koilthis
is again one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.
Vaigai
Dam
Vaigai dam is surrounded by well-manicured gardens and has come up as a
popular picnic spots, just 70-km from Madurai.
Kodaikkanal
One of the best hill stations in India and one of the few in South India,
Kodaikkanal or Kodai is a very beautiful place near Madurai. It takes just
121-km of travel to reach Kodai. Kodai is located 2,130 m above the sea
level in the Western Ghats.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
One of the well-known wildlife sanctuaries in the south, Periyar
sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers every year. Also called
the Tekkadi wildlife sanctuary, this place is appropriate to watch and
observe the animals in their natural habitat. The forest of this sanctuary
slope into the man made lake at the bottom of the hill
Megamalai
The tea estates on the slopes of the Western Ghats nestles Megamalai.
This lovely place is bound to capture your imagination. Good place to stay
and enjoy a lovely surrounding. One can also watch the animals roaming in
the forest, which are close to Megamalai, Just 130-km from Madurai.
Suruli Falls
123-km from Madurai city is Suruli falls, which are located in a
picturesque area. It is an ideal spot and an excellent picnic spot to
spend one day.
Courtallam
Courtallam is located about 167-km on the Western Ghats and is an
excellent health resort in this part of the country. This place is also
known as the 'Spa of the South'. Courtallam is located just 160-km from
Madurai. This place has got nine splendid waterfalls, which attracts a
large number of visitors. TTDC offers here a boathouse accommodation apart
from the restaurant.
Palani
118-km from Madurai is the temple dedicated to Lord Subramanyam. The
temple is located on top of a hill 180 meter high. The temple attracts
many devotees and people coming to Madurai do not miss visiting Palani.
From the hill top one gets an excellent view of the nearby area.
Viraganur Dam
This ideal picnic spot is located just 8-km from Madurai.
Kumbakkarai Water Falls
This place serves as the base camp for the trekkers who venture in the
hills of Kodai. Kumbakkarai Water Falls are 105-km from Madurai and form
an excellent picnic spot. Waterfall surrounded by forests combined with
the pristine beauty of the hills creates a very soothing atmosphere.
Air: Madurai has its own airport and there are
flights, which connect the city with
Chennai,
Tiruchirappalli. The
airline services have at least one flight daily from Madurai to
Chennai. From there
one can take flight to anywhere in India.
Rail: Madurai has one of the major railway junctions of South
India. It is connected with the all the major tourist as well as religious
places in Tamil Nadu. Though there are not
many trains, which connect the city with major cities of India such as,
Madurai is easily accessible from any part of the nation.
Road: There are good motorable roads, which connect this, second
largest city of Tamil Nadu with other parts of the state as well as other
places in India. Madurai has five bus stands, which cater to the needs of
the people.
Madurai has got a wide range of accommodation, varying from reasonable ones to luxurious that cater for the flocks of pilgrims and tourists. Most of the reasonable places to stay are located at Town Hall Road and West Perumal Maistry Street, not far from the railway station.
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
Most important festival of Madurai is the sacred wedding ceremony of
Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar. This festival is held during
March -April. During this festival the city displays a colourful and
joyous mood. Images of the divine couple are taken around the city in a
tastefully decorated chariot, amidst the presence of a huge gathering of
devotees. The notes of Nadaswaram and drums further aggravate the festive
ambience.
The annual float festival marks the images of Meenakshi and her consort
floating on the Mariamman tank on an illuminated raft bedecked with
flowers. As such there are festivals throughout the year in Madurai. All
most 11 big annual festivals are celebrated in Madurai, which are spread
through the year with exception of the monsoon months.
SHOPPING
Madurai has been a textile center since ages. The streets and lanes are
lines with shops and tailors offering readymade as well as fabric material
manufactured in Madurai. The Puthu Mandapam, an old pillared hall along
the entrance to Meenakshi temple is popular among the visitors and locals
for the cotton fabric and the Batiks. The lovely Sungundi Sarees are in
great demand among Indian women. Collectors are delighted to have the
Brass lamps from Madurai.
Premier shopping areas are Chithirai, Avanimoola, Puthumandapam and
Thevangu Chetty Choultry. The handicrafts Emporiums of the states are also
here, which offer a varied range of handicrafts from all over the India.
CLIMATE
The climate of Madurai is warm. The temperature seldom comes below 20°
C even during the winters. The rainfall is very frequent and spread
throughout the year, just like the flow of pilgrims and tourists is the
same during the year.
Tourist Office, Government of Tamil Nadu - Hotel
Tamil Nadu Complex, West Veli Street (Near Periyar Bus Stand) Madurai,
Tamil Nadu
Tourist Information Center, Government Of Tamil Nadu - Railway
Junction, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Department of Tourism, Government of India (DOTGOI) - 154, Anna
Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) - 143, Anna
Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
POPULATION: About 1.23 Million
Coimbatore - 227-km
Rameshwara- 173-km
Kanyakumari - 253-km
Tekkadi - 137-km
Courtalam - 160-km
Kodaikkanal - 121-km
NOTE: To all tourists - beware of touts, who offer to take you to
the Puthu Mandapam for the purchase of cheap textile material.