Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
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The great temple of the goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar at the heart of Madurai, one of India's oldest living cities.
TempleMadurai, Madurai districtBest time to visit: October to March; Chithirai festival in April–May
Highlights
- Tall gopurams covered in brightly painted sculptures
- The Hall of a Thousand Pillars and the Golden Lotus Tank (Porthamarai Kulam)
- Nightly ceremony in which Sundareswarar is carried to Meenakshi's shrine
- The Chithirai festival celebrating the divine wedding
Significance
Madurai was a centre of the Pandya kingdom and of the Tamil Sangam tradition. Much of the present temple complex was built under the Nayak rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries.