Madurai Meenakshi Temple
Posted by Ashwini | Posted in Temples of India | Posted on 21-01-2011
Tags: Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Madurai Temple, South Indian Temples
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Madurai,which means sweetness was the ancient Capital of the Pandya kingdom.It is popularly known as the temple city in the name of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar.
Important things which you can observe in SouthIndian temples are mainly Gopurams/Towers and a holy pond inside.Its usually the tradition that gopurams are built in the entrance of the temple and on sanctum sanctorum.
This temple has 5 towers on sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Sundareshwara,3 on Goddess Meenakshi and 2 golden and 4 entrance gopurams making the whole sum to 14!!.
The temple is huge and the entry inside starts with visiting Viboothi Vinayakar which is the statue of Lord Ganesha.The statue of Goddess Meenakshi is carved in black stone and its beautiful.Its custom here to pray the godess Meenakshi first and then Lord Sundareswarar.
There are beautiful halls/Mandapams inside the temple.All halls have stone pillars carved with the statues of hindu gods.During the period of Nayakas who were ruling the Madurai, the temple got renovated and they constructed Mandapams,Pond and Gopurams.One such hall is below shown where you can see the paintings on the roof of the mantapam.
There is a holy tank in inside and from this place you can capture all the gopurams of the temple in your camera.
The corridors around this pond are called Chitra Mantapam where walls carry paintings of the divine sports of the Lord.
Importance of the temple : History says in 14th century invasion by Malik Kafur damaged the temple. In the same century Madurai was under Muslim rule for nearly fifty years. The temple authorities closed the sanctum, covered up the Linga, and set up another in the Ardhamandapa. When the city was liberated, the sanctum was opened, and, tradition says the flower garlands and the sandalwood paste placed on the Linga were as fresh as on the first day, and two oil lamps were still burning.
There is a general entrance as well as special entrance to go inside.Cameras are allowed inside only with tickets.
Madurai Meenakshi Temple is one among the must visit temples if you are interested in exploring the South Indian Temples and Dravidian architecture.There is a museum associated with the temple which is also worth visiting.
official site of the temple :http://www.maduraimeenakshi.org/
and 360 degree virtual tour of the temple http://www.view360.in/virtualtour/madurai/
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