The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is renowned as one of the finest temples in the region and holds great significance. The city is known by many names.
The etymology of the name 'Madurai' can be traced back to the legend of Shiva cleansing snake venom with the nectar of the crescent moon in his hair. Once a dense forest of 'Kadhamba' trees, a merchant named Dhananjayan stumbled upon a Shiva Linga in the forest and informed King Kula Sekhara Pandiyan. The king then cleared the forest, built a temple around the Linga, and the city gradually developed around it. The discovery of the Shivalinga was accompanied by the observation of sweet nectar dripping from the tree above, inspiring the name "Madurai".
The city derived its name Aalavai, from the unique way in which Shiva's snake encircled itself with its tail in its mouth, marking a boundary around the city.
Madurai, also referred to as 'Nan-Mada-Koodal, gained its name due to an intriguing legend involving Shiva. According to the Legend, God Shiva released four clouds from His braids to safeguard Madurai from the seven clouds unleashed by Varuna. Naanmadakoodal, meaning the junction of four towers, also refers to the four major temples for which Madurai was known for.
It is recognized as one of the 64 Shakti Peetam. Within the temple it is customary for worshippers to first pay homage to Meenakshi before proceeding to Sundareswarar.
The Temple covers an area of 17 acres, spans 847 feet in the east-west direction and 792 feet in the north-south direction, featuring eight towers and two vimanam. The south gopuram stands at a towering height of 160 feet, surpassing the others. The east gopuram is at a height of 153 feet. All gopurams except the north feature numerous splendid colorful sculptures.
Ashtasakthi Mandap is situated opposite the sannidhi of Meenakshi Amman. At the entrance, there is a captivating sculpture portraying the wedding ceremony of Meenakshi, positioned between the depictions of Vinayaka and Muruga. Inside the mandapam, the pillars showcase the eight manifestations of Shakti. Goddess Meenakshi's idol is made of emerald and her beauty is beyond description. She is seen holding a parrot in one of her hands and is known by many other names such Maragathavalli, Thadathagai, Komalavalli, Pandiarajakumari, Manickavalli, and Sundaravalli. Goddess Meenakshi's eyes resemble those of a fish, and she safeguards her devotees with her compassionate gaze, akin to a fish nurturing and hatching its eggs with its own eyes.
The presiding deity Sundareswarar is revered as the 'MoolaLingam' as this Lingam holds the distinction of being the foremost to have appeared even before the ones in renowned locations such as Merumalai, Vellimalai, Thirukedaram and Varanasi.
The 'Kambathadi' mandapam, located across the sanctum houses numerous sculptures. Positioned at the center of the mandapam are the gold-plated dwajasthambam, Nandhi and Balipeetam. The mandapam boasts of eight pillars, each intricately decorated with magnificent sculptures that are truly a sight to behold. Among these sculptures are depictions of Sankaranarayana, Somaskanda, Arthanareeswarar, and the Dasavataras of Lord Vishnu, all of which are incredibly impressive in their craftsmanship. However, it is the sculpture of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar that truly steals the show, standing out as the pinnacle of artistic excellence among all the sculptures in the mandapam. Additionally, the sculptures of Agni Veerabadra and Agora Veerabadra, positioned on two grand pillars near the Kambathadi mandapam, as well as the idols of Urthuvadandavar and Kali on the adjacent pillars, showcase a remarkable beauty that is hard to miss.
The presiding deity Sundareswarar also referred to as Chokkanathar is associated with 'Budhan' (the planetorial god for Mercury) and so here it is customary to offer 'parikaram' for 'Budhan'.
Legend has it that Indira achieved victory in his conflict with the demon Vridhasuran and sought redemption for the 'Brahmahathi dosha' by venerating the Shivalingam in Kadambavanam. To commemorate his success, he erected a 'vimanam' embellished with 32 lions, 64 Shiva Ganas, and 8 white elephants upholding the edifice.
Madurai is a city of festivals that happens throughout the year. 'Chitra pournami' festival is the grandest of them.
The city of Madurai is the setting for all 64 'Tiruvilayadal' of God Shiva. These divine scenes are depicted in the prakaram surrounding Swamy sannidhi. 'Sthala vruksham' is Kadhamba tree, and the 'theertham' is the Potramarai tank and Vaigai river. A Crystal Lingam discovered centuries ago in the Potramarai tank continues to be worshipped at the Madurai Aadheenam.
The Ayiramkal Mandapam, also known as the Hall of Thousand Pillars, is the largest mandapam within the temple complex, boasting a total of 985 pillars arranged in rows from all perspectives. At the heart of the mandapam, one can find the idol of Nataraja, symbolizing the 'Silver Sabha' (velliyambalam) of the 'pancha sabha' temples. While in most temple depictions Nataraja is portrayed with his left leg raised, in this particular mandapam, he is uniquely depicted with his right leg lifted. Moreover, the mandapam features a stunning array of intricately carved sculptures that are truly mesmerizing to behold.
Mukkuruni Vinayaka - Thirumalai Naicker the ruler of Madurai from 1623 to 1659 A.D. unearthed this idol of Vinayaka while excavating the land for construction of his palace. This big 'pillayar' at a height of 7 feet was then consecrated at the temple in 1645. A customary practice involves offering Kozhukattai, a sweet dumpling, to this Vinayaka on every Vinayaka Chaturthi, using 18 Mukkuruni (a unit of measurement) of rice.
Mukkurini vinayagar
Temple tower
Temple tower
Temple pond
Goddess Meenakshi