Location : Tamil Nadu
Historical Significance: Remained
The Capital Of Pandayan Empire Till
14th Century.
Main Attractions: Meenakshi Temple,
Koodal Azhagar Temple, Thirumalai
Nayak Mahal
Festive Attractions: Meenakshi
Kalyanam In April-May And The Teppam
Festival |
Tourism in
Madurai
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.
PRIME ATTRCATIONS
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.
EXCURSIONS
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.
HOW TO GET THERE
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.
WHERE TO STAY
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.
OTHER TOURIST INFO
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 INFORMATION CENTRES
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
NEARBY CITIES
Coimbatore - 227-km
Rameshwara- 173-km
Kanyakumari - 253-km
Tekkadi - 137-km
Courtalam - 160-km
Kodaikkanal - 121-km
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Travel Guide / States / Tamil Nadu / Cities / Madurai Travel
