Tirupparankundram

Tirupparankundram, a hill five miles southwest of Madurai, is the fourth pilgrimage site of Muruga. A cave temple dedicated to the element of earth and mentioned in various classical Tamil texts as the 'Southern Himalaya' where the gods assemble, Tirupparankunram is also mentioned in legend as 'the place where the sun and moon abide'. Murugan was married to Devasena upon the hill and for many centuries the Tamil people have considered it the most auspicious place for their own marriages, especially during the time of the Pankuni Uttiram, the festival of marriage held in late March. Besides the fantastic temple to Murugan on the hill, there is also a Muslim shrine dedicated to 'Sekunder' (al-Sikandar or Alexander the Great) who is associated with Murukan by the Muslim pilgrims. "Sikandar was a friend of Murugan at the time when Murugan was King here," they say.

Tirupparankundram is situated three miles southeast of Madurai on the main railway line. It is one of the Aru Padai Veedugal or six sacred places selected by Lord Subrahmanya for his abode. The importance of this temple is that here was celebrated the marriage of Lord Subrahmanya with the daughter of Indra, Devayanai.

Long, long ago, when Lord Subrahmanya was staying at Kanda Verpu, the two daughters of Lord Maha Vishnu, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, cherished the desire of becoming the consorts of Subrahmanya. With this aim in mind they both went to Saravana Poigai and commenced austere penance to fulfil their desires.

Pleased with their prayer and worship, Lord Subrahmanya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli, "You will be brought up by Indra as his daughter and I shall marry you in due course." Her younger sister Sundara Valli was also graced with a similar blessing. She was born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi, the headman of Veddas.

Amrita Valli took the form of a female child and went to Mount Meru, the abode of Indra, and told him, "I am the daughter of Maha Vishnu and the responsibility of looking after me has been entrusted to you." On hearing this, Indra became very happy and directed Airavatam, his white elephant, to take care of the child.

The elephant with all love brought her up and affection and she attained the age of marriage in course of time. Hence she came to be known as Devayanai, one who was brought up by the heavenly elephant of Indra (yānai in Tamil means elephant).

The six sons of sage Parasara were cursed to become fishes in the Saravana Poigai. On request for redemption, these six boys were ordered to pray to Lord Subrahmanya.

When they got his darshan, they could get redemption. It was also made known to them that Lord Subrahmanya would come to Tirupparankunram after vanquishing the demon Surapadma. Anxiously they waited for the arrival of Subrahmanya.

When the mission of Subrahmanva to vanquish Surapadma was over at Tiruchendur, on his way, he came to this spot followed by all the devas and heavenly beings whom he had released from the untold miseries caused by Surapadma.

On his arrival at Tirupparankunram, the sons of Parasara received Subrahmanya and, at their request, he consented to stay there. He at once ordered Viswakarma to construct a beautiful abode for himself, for the devas and for others.

He also suggested to the heavenly architect to build roads and erect a city around them. Indra, the king of the angels, desired to get his daughter Devayanai married to Subrahmanya, as a mark of his gratitude for relieving him and the devas from the depredations of the demon Surapadma.

He expressed his desire to Brahma and Vishnu who were present there. They were only too glad to hear the proposal. When they communicated the desire of Indra to Lord Subrahmanya he readily agreed to it and said: "Devayanai has been praying at Saravana Poigai in the Himalayas for this happy marriage. Now the time has come for its being solemnised." As Subrahmanya agreed to this marriage, Indra sent a messenger to bring his wife Indrani and daughter Devayanai from Mout Meru.

The marriage took place at Tirupparankunram, after the victory of Subrahmanya over Surapadma. All arrangements for marriage were made and the marriage was performed at the Tirupparankunram Temple. All the devas, Siva and Parvati attended the marriage and blessed Subrahmanya and Devayanai. Since then, the temple has become a very famous abode of Subrahmanya.

Madurai Thirupparankundram

Tirupparankundram, a hill five miles southwest of Madurai, is the fourth pilgrimage site of Muruga. A cave temple dedicated to the element of earth and mentioned in various classical Tamil texts as the 'Southern Himalaya' where the gods assemble, Tirupparankunram is also mentioned in legend as 'the place where the sun and moon abide'. Murugan was married to Devasena upon the hill and for many centuries the Tamil people have considered it the most auspicious place for their own marriages, especially during the time of the Pankuni Uttiram, the festival of marriage held in late March. Besides the fantastic temple to Murugan on the hill, there is also a Muslim shrine dedicated to 'Sekunder' (al-Sikandar or Alexander the Great) who is associated with Murukan by the Muslim pilgrims. "Sikandar was a friend of Murugan at the time when Murugan was King here," they say.

Tirupparankundram is situated three miles southeast of Madurai on the main railway line. It is one of the Aru Padai Veedugal or six sacred places selected by Lord Subrahmanya for his abode. The importance of this temple is that here was celebrated the marriage of Lord Subrahmanya with the daughter of Indra, Devayanai.

Long, long ago, when Lord Subrahmanya was staying at Kanda Verpu, the two daughters of Lord Maha Vishnu, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, cherished the desire of becoming the consorts of Subrahmanya. With this aim in mind they both went to Saravana Poigai and commenced austere penance to fulfil their desires.

Pleased with their prayer and worship, Lord Subrahmanya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli, "You will be brought up by Indra as his daughter and I shall marry you in due course." Her younger sister Sundara Valli was also graced with a similar blessing. She was born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi, the headman of Veddas.

Amrita Valli took the form of a female child and went to Mount Meru, the abode of Indra, and told him, "I am the daughter of Maha Vishnu and the responsibility of looking after me has been entrusted to you." On hearing this, Indra became very happy and directed Airavatam, his white elephant, to take care of the child.

The elephant with all love brought her up and affection and she attained the age of marriage in course of time. Hence she came to be known as Devayanai, one who was brought up by the heavenly elephant of Indra (yānai in Tamil means elephant).

The six sons of sage Parasara were cursed to become fishes in the Saravana Poigai. On request for redemption, these six boys were ordered to pray to Lord Subrahmanya.

When they got his darshan, they could get redemption. It was also made known to them that Lord Subrahmanya would come to Tirupparankunram after vanquishing the demon Surapadma. Anxiously they waited for the arrival of Subrahmanya.

When the mission of Subrahmanva to vanquish Surapadma was over at Tiruchendur, on his way, he came to this spot followed by all the devas and heavenly beings whom he had released from the untold miseries caused by Surapadma.

On his arrival at Tirupparankunram, the sons of Parasara received Subrahmanya and, at their request, he consented to stay there. He at once ordered Viswakarma to construct a beautiful abode for himself, for the devas and for others.

He also suggested to the heavenly architect to build roads and erect a city around them. Indra, the king of the angels, desired to get his daughter Devayanai married to Subrahmanya, as a mark of his gratitude for relieving him and the devas from the depredations of the demon Surapadma.

He expressed his desire to Brahma and Vishnu who were present there. They were only too glad to hear the proposal. When they communicated the desire of Indra to Lord Subrahmanya he readily agreed to it and said: "Devayanai has been praying at Saravana Poigai in the Himalayas for this happy marriage. Now the time has come for its being solemnised." As Subrahmanya agreed to this marriage, Indra sent a messenger to bring his wife Indrani and daughter Devayanai from Mout Meru.

The marriage took place at Tirupparankunram, after the victory of Subrahmanya over Surapadma. All arrangements for marriage were made and the marriage was performed at the Tirupparankunram Temple. All the devas, Siva and Parvati attended the marriage and blessed Subrahmanya and Devayanai. Since then, the temple has become a very famous abode of Subrahmanya. Tirupparankundram is located Approximately 8km south of Madurai is a large rock in arid land. On one side of the rock is a Pandyan rock-cut shrine dating back to the 8th century.

Figures directry carved out of the rock face are found in and out of the shrine walls. Scripture, animal figures and game etched on the rock are also found on the rock and the floor of the shrine interior.

Today, a Hindu temple is situated atop the hill where it is believed to be one of six adobes of Lord Subramanya. This is the place where lord Muruga and Devayanai, daughter of Indra married. This temple is a hill temple with a gorgeous look. Tirupparankunram is also mentioned in legend as 'the place where the sun and moon abide'. It is regarded as the sacred temple for marriages. People believe that marriages done here are succesfull due to the blessings of lord Muruga. The temple is surrounded with many trees and green lands. Besides the fantastic temple to Murugan on the hill, there is also a Muslim shrine dedicated to 'Sekunder' (al-Sikandar or Alexander the Great) who is associated with Murukan by the Muslim pilgrims. "Sikandar was a friend of Murugan at the time when Murugan was King here," they say Long, long ago, when Lord Subrahmanya was staying at Kanda Verpu, the two daughters of Lord Maha Vishnu, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, cherished the desire of becoming the consorts of Subrahmanya. With this aim in mind they both went to Saravana Poigai and commenced austere penance to fulfil their desires. Pleased with their prayer and worship, Lord Subrahmanya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli, "You will be brought up by Indra as his daughter and I shall marry you in due course." Her younger sister Sundara Valli was also graced with a similar blessing. She was born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi, the headman of Veddas. Tirupparangkundram is one of the Aru Padai Vedugal of lord Subramaniyam.Amritavalli and Sundaravalli, daughters of Mahavishnu, fell in love with Lord Subramanyan and started an austere penance in order to become his wives. Lord Subramanyan pleased with their penance appeared before them. The two sisters asked for a boon that both of them should become his wives. He promised that he would fulfil their wishes in due course. Amritavalli was then transformed into a baby and appeared in the palace of Indra the king of Devas. When Lord Indra found her he directed his white elephant Airavatham to raise her. Hence the name 'Theva-yanai'. Sundaravalli was born to sage Sivamuni who abondoned her. She was found and raised by the chief of hunters, Nambirajan, who named her 'Valli'.

When Lord Subramanyan vanquished Soorapadman and released those Devas imprisoned by him, Indra was so pleased with his heroism that he wanted to give his adopted daughter Thevayanai in marriage to him. He conveyed his desire to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu who waited for the most opportune time to broach the subject to Lord Subramanya.

After the war with Soorapadman, Lord Subramanyan arrived at Thirupparankundram with his entourage and the army, and seeing the lushness and beauty of this place decided to rest here for a few days. Brahma and Vishnu realising that this was the best time to approach Lord Subramanyan conveyed to him the wishes of Indra. Lord Subramanya with his knowledge that Thevayanai was none other than Amritavalli was pleased to accede to their request and married Thevayanai. Thus this place became important to the devotees of Lord Subramanya as the place where He married Thevayanai.

Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal - Madurai

Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th century palace was built by King Thirumalai Nayak, one of the Madurai Nayak rulers in 1636 AD in the city of Madurai, India. This Palace was built with the help of an Italian Architect and is a classic fusion of Dravidian, Islamic and European styles. The building, which can be seen today, was the main Palace where the king lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. In its heyday, Tirumalai Nayak's Palace at Madurai was considered to be one of the wonders of the South. When Krishna Devaraya was the King of Vijayanagar, he sent one general Nagama Naick to Madurai to control the internal confusion in the Madurai regional politics. Nagama Naick controled the waring groups and restored peace, but declared himself as an independant ruler. This act provoked the King Krishna Devaraya and he sent Viswanatha Naick, the son of the revolutionary Nagama, to arrest and produce his father in the royal court. Viswanatha fulfilled the order of the King, but justified his father's act and explained the real condition of the region. King, being convinced by the explanation of Viswanatha, released his father and crowned Viswanatha as the ruler of Madurai as a reward to his loyalty. Thus the Madurai Naick Principality was established about 1530 A.D.

The palace is located in the city of Madurai, in Tamil Nadu state of India. The palace is situated 2 km south east of the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

This Palace was built in 1636 by King Thirumalai Nayak with the help of an Italian Architect. The building we see today was the main Palace where the King lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. This palace consisted mainly of two parts, namely Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa.

In these two parts, there are royal residence, theatre, shrine, apartments, armoury, palanquin place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and garden. King Thirumalai Nayak celebrated festivals like Sceptre festival, Navarathri, Chithirai festival, Masi festival and the Float festival.

He conducted daily dance and music performances in the palace. This palace was destroyed by his grandson Chokkanatha Nayak and the valuables were transferred to other places.

During 19th century, Lord Napier, governor of Madras between 1866 and 1872 made several renovation works. Today, only the spacious rectangular courtyard called the swarga Vilasam and a few adjoining biuldings survive, their awesome scale evoking the grandeur of a vanished era. The courtyard measures 3,900 sq.m and is surrounded by massive circular pillars. To its west lies the Throne Chamber, a vast room with a raised, octagonal dome. This room leads to the Dance Hall. Then the palace was utilized to house some officials of the judiciary and district administration. After independence, this palace was declared as a national monument and is now under the care of the Tamilnadu Archaeological Department. It can be visited from 9a.m to 5 p.m on payment of the entrance fee.

The thousand pillar mandapam is supposed to have been built by Arya Natha Mudaliyar, the Prime Minister of the first Nayaka of Madurai (1559-1600 A.D.) and the founder of 'Poligar System'. An equestrian statue of the Mudaliyar flanks one side of the steps leading to the 'mandapam'. Except the inner shrines, probably no part of the temple is older than the 16th century. The general plan of the sanctuary is typical of the gigantic South Indian temples with vast quadrangular enclosures and lofty 'gopurams' overlooking the central shrine. Round about the temple, outside the higher wall is, a neat garden fenced with iron railings. Even a casual visitor is fascinated by the many paintings and sculptures in this shrine. The ceilings are decorated with large paintings showing Shaivite and Vaishnavite themes. There is a beautiful painting of the marriage of Sundareswarar with Devi Meenakshi. Another beautiful painting is that of Harihara.

In the outer corridor are the most popular musical pillars, five in number, each composed of twenty two slender rods carved out of a single rock of granite, which produce the 'Saptha Swaras' when gently tapped with a wooden rod. There is a spacious 'pushkarini' in front of the Meenakshi shrine called the Golden Lotus Tank or 'Ponthamaraikulam'. Beautifully paved stone steps on all the four sides are set to reach the placid water. The great tower of the south reflected in the Golden Lilly Tank is perhaps the best known view of the Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple.

According to mythology, Indra from Devaloka entered this tank and it was filled with golden Lillies. It is said that the tank was also used to judge the literary merit of the manuscripts of poets and authors. When placed on the water, the manuscripts would float supported by a plank if its value was considered worthy otherwise it would sink to the bottom. This testing miraculous plank was called 'Sanga Palkki' (sanga plank) and can still be seen in the temple museum. This tradition amply substantiates the view that Madurai was once a centre of learning and erudition. The Pandyan kings were great patrons of arts and letters. One of the first monarchs of the dynasty, Ugra Paruvaludi (128-140 A.D.) is gratefully remembered for the patronage he extended to poet Tiruvalluvar.

In the 14th century, Madurai aroused the cupidity of Malikkafur who invaded it and set up a Mohammadan dynasty that remained in power for nearly fifty years, at the end of which it was conquered by a General of the Vijayanagar Empire and became a feudatory. The Vijayanagar Emperor, while guarding the kingdom against the invaders, subsequently restored it to the descendants of the Pandyan kings.

From the middle of the 16th century, right up to the eighth decade of the 18th century. the city retained its glory as the principal seat of the Nayakas. Although Vishwanatha Nayaka, the first and greatest of a long line of distinguished rulers, is credited with having laid the foundations of a well planned and well fortified city. Tirumala Nayaka, who ascended to throne in 1623 A.D., and ruled over Madurai for 36 years can be said to have made the largest single contribution towards the enhancement of the beauty and splendour of the town by magnificent edifices and monuments.

A little away from the temple precincts in the town is the ruins of Palace of Tirumala Nayaka constructed during his reign (1623-1645 A.D.). It contains beautiful domes and arches. One of the domes stands without the support of girder -an architectural feat of everlasting wonder. They must have been an extravagance of stucco in its heyday.

Tirumala Nayaka was undoubtedly the greatest of the Nayaka rulers. The Nayakas of Madurai like those of Thanjavur and gingee ruled South India as the Governors of Vijayanagar emperors and gradually became independent rulers as the empire began to decline and breakup, though they did not like to call themselves as kings due probably to their reverence to the dynasty.

Timings: 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m 2.00 p.m.and 5.00 p.m.
Entrance Fee: Re.1/-per head.

Timings for daily Sound and light show: English at 6.45 p.m, Tamil at 8.15 p.m. Ticket charges for the Sound and Light show: Adults Rs.10/-, Child Rs.5/-

Gandhi Memorial Museum - Madurai

Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai

Gandhi museum was the official residence of the District collectors of madurai for many years. This museum is a great historic tamukkam palace of Rani Mangammal during 1670. The importance of this museum is that in 1955, the palace and the land of 12 acres were dedicated to Gandhi samak Nidhi by the Government of TamilNadu in remembrance of the life and work of Father of our Nation. Gandhi Memorial Museum has a remarkable collection of Gandhiji's paintings, Sculptures, Gandhian Quotations, articles of village industries and Khadi Crafts. The collection of varities of gandhiyan thoughts are been portrayed as paintings in this museum. The Handicrafts and the articals used by Gandhi are been preserved here. During 1921, sep 21st Gandhiji visited Madurai and stayed in the residence of Sri Ramji Kalyanji. He was very much disturbed at the sight of poor peasants shivering, with nothing more than a piece of loin cloth shielding them from the cold. So overnight he took a decision that he should be a model to everyone and to dress up in a simple manner like the peasants and poor people he witnessed in his journey to Madurai and he carried out this from the very next day itself. The next morning all were shocked to see him in his new pattern of dress and Gandhiji told them about his decision. What is more surprising is the fact that he continued to sport this new attire through out his life. He then attended a meeting in Madurai (At the place now called as Gandhi Pottal), explaining the reason for this change. Madurai thus stands as the starting place for his new mode of dress. As a proof for it even today, a plaque commemorating this landmark decision is a part of the Madurai Railway Station.
The Gandhi Memorial museum at Madurai has been built and organised by the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi. it was in Madurai, in the year 1921, that Gandhiji adopted for the first time the loin cloth as his mode of dress which made him known throughout the world as the "Half Naked Fakir". It was in Madurai again that the doors of the great Meenakshi Temple were thrown open to Harijans, thus winning a historic battle against 'Untouchability'. Gandhiji visited this temple in 1946 along with the Harijans as a triumph for the cause of Harijan Temple Entry.

The building that houses the Gandhi Memorial Museum Madurai is the historic Tamukkam Palace of Rani Mangammal of Naick dynasty built about 1670 A.D.

It was in 1955 that the palace with about 13 acres of land was gifted by the Tamilnadu State Government, to the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi for the purpose pf housing Gandhi Memorial Museum.

The picture Gallery presents a visual biography of Gandhiji.

The Museum may broadly be divided into the following sections:

Special Exhibition on "India" Fights for Freedom" with 265 illustrations, depicting the history of the Freedom Movement, greets you first.

Then follows the exhibition of the choice specimens of Handicrafts donated by the states of Tamilnadu, Mysore, Andhra and Kerala.

This leads to the Pictorial Gallery depicting a visual biography of Gandhiji by means of photographs, quotations, paintings etc and some of the selected Photostat copies of many of Gandhiji's letters.

Then you enter 'The Hall of Relics' where some of Gandhiji's personal belongings (original and replicas) are preserved.

Lastly you come to the Khadi and Village Industries Section in the ground floor of the building, where you come across the Exhibits of some of the Village Industries, which Gandhiji revived.

To the south of the building is a big open-air theatre with a capacity to accommodate about 8,000 people. Cultural programmes, weekly film shows and public meetings on special occasions are held in this theatre.

In front of the main building, a little towards south, there is "Gandhi Kutir"- a replica of Gandhiji's hut in Sevagram.

The northern wing of this building, houses the Library, which contains books giving the cultural background of India, books on and by Gandhiji and allied literature. There are about 20,00 volumes in the library. Photostat copies of about 2,70,000 letters of Gandhiji and 62 reels of Micro-films are the very important and valuable part of the collections in the Library.

Five study alcoves have been provided in the first floor of the Library for Research Scholars. Readers forum and Book Review Meetings are held periodically in the Library. A research section is also functioning, books are also published.

Timings: 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. 2.00 p.m. to 5.45 p.m. (open on all days)

Madurai Climate

Weather
Dry and hot, with rains during October-December
Summer temperature
Max: 37.5 Deg. C.
Min: 26.3 Deg. C.
Winter temperature
Max: 29.6 Deg. C.
Min: 20.9 Deg. C.
Average Rainfall
85 cms

Hot and humid, Madurai has the typical climate of the rest of the Deccan plateau. In summer May is the hottest month when you will not need much clothing, and what little you wear can be flimsy cottons. The winters are not worth the name - December, January and February - for they are only slightly less hot than the summers. Monsoons - September, October, and November - are wet with intermittent showers; though not heavy enough to deter one from sight-seeing.

Geography

Today, vast stretches of lush paddy fields, dusty roads and crowded bazaars make it seem almost like an overgrown village that is just blossoming into a town. The city, situated on the banks of the River Vaigai, is the second largest in Tamilnadu. It is also a burgeoning industrial center with its famous textile mills, engineering industries and vast university campus. It covers an area of 22 sq. KMs. and contains a population of 10,93,702. Lying at an altitude of 100.58 meters, it receives an average rainfall of 85 CMs.

Vaigai River

River in Madurai, flowing 150 miles (240 km) generally southeast. Rising in the Varushanad Hills of western Tamil Nadu, it initially flows northeast through the Kambam and Varushanad valleys. In its central reaches the Vaigai flows eastward into the Vaigai reservoir at Narasingapuram. Near Sholavandan it bends to the southeast, passing Madurai town on its course to its mouth on Palk Strait, which separates the southeast coast of India from Sri Lanka. The Vaigai River rarely floods; its chief tributaries are the Siruliar, Theniar, Varaha Nadi, and Mangalar.

More About Madurai

After another long bus ride from Trichy, passing some wonderful landscapes and huge rock formations on which the locals had thoughtfully painted adverts for tea bags and soap powder, I arrived in the city of Madurai, home to yet more temples and a bustling bazaar scene. Seeing as I was back on my own again, I decided to pre-empt the loneliness blues by treating myself to a few nights at a mid-range hotel, namely the US$5-a-night Hotel Aarathy. My room had a television that, after a few deft manipulations of the tuning controls, revealed MTV and CNN; it had a hot water shower; it had a balcony; and it had a view over a wonderfully colourful temple across the street.

Unfortunately it was still an Indian hotel. My sheets were fairly shoddy (and never actually got changed, despite my requests and baksheesh), the fan had a death rattle and the speed control was stuck on gale force, there were millions of little red ants everywhere who delivered a particularly irritating bite, and the hot water was only hot when it felt like it (which was not a crisis in the tropical heat, but I wanted my money's worth). And even when you book into a mid-range hotel, you don't get away from Indian intrusions: one of the things that really bugs me about Indian hotels is that you will never get an uninterrupted lie in, because at some stage in the early morning (between 7 and 8.30am usually) there will be a knock at the door, and not your usual discreet knock, more a battering. Sometimes, if you ignore it, it goes away; sometimes it's accompanied by the cry of 'Chai! Kaafi!' and you can yell back a 'No thanks you bastard' for a bit of peace; but my experience in the Hotel Aarathy was fairly unique and not a little confusing, if only because the rooms were equipped with phones which could have been used to call up the services on offer if I had been interested in a morning tea.

Sri Meenakshi Temple has some of the most impressive gopurams in India

My door buzzer went off at 8.30am, which the Indians consider to be halfway through the day (after all, when you don't have a television, bars are taboo and you can hardly afford electricity, what else is there to do at night except turn in early and, maybe, try to increase the population?). I ignored it, and it buzzed again. Realising my slumber was irreparably shattered, I slipped on my sarong and stuck my head round the door. 'Yes, what?' I asked rather brusquely, hair sticking out like a briar bush.

'This is the laundry man,' said one of the two men standing in the corridor, indicating his companion. 'He's been here since six o'clock,' he continued, obviously assuming that this would clarify matters. I must have looked pretty blank, because he pointed at the man behind him again and said, 'Laundry man.'

Perhaps this was my clean sheet, at last, but I wasn't interested. 'No thanks, no laundry,' I said and closed the door in their faces, infuriated that my relaxing start to the day had been shattered. I checked out later that day and moved into a place that was less than half the price: it still had a hurricane fan but this time there were no ants. It didn't have MTV either, but one night of Indian pop was enough to cure my TV-blues for some time.

A man with ten arms and ten heads? It must be Ravana, the baddie from the Ramayana, the epic Hindu classic

I also bumped into Howard again and checked out Madurai's main temple with him. Sri Meenakshi Temple is pretty damn big and has loads of towers, all painted in a beautiful rainbow of colours: the outer four towers are particularly tall (the largest is 50m high), and have literally thousands of sculptures of Hindu deities catching the sunlight (the western gopuram alone has 1134 sculptures covering it). Inside, the temple is mostly undercover rather than open plan, with dark, incense-filled rooms, messy stone shrines, elephants blessing devotees and a background smell that's hauntingly familiar. My last temple for a while, Sri Meenakshi was both beautiful and dingy, and was all the more interesting for its inherent contrasts.

And all the while, the election was creating havoc across the country. A total of 48 people died in Coimbatore (in western Tamil Nadu) in various weekend explosions and arrests, and I thanked my stars that due to the staggered polling system (implemented so the security forces could travel around the country to police the voting without being too spread out) meant Madurai wasn't voting until the next weekend. I would still be in a voting area then, though...

Return Visit to Madurai

Another incredible gopuram at Madurai's Sri Meenakshi Temple

Arriving back in Madurai after rattling down the mountain from Kodaikanal was pleasant, and having to stay an extra night there owing to a lack of free berths on the overnight train to Kollam was far from a hardship. Where Kodai had buckets and backyards, Madurai had hot water showers; where Kodai had boring old idly and dosa, Madurai had wonderful butter chicken and nan; where Kodai had weather so cold that your washing never dried, Madurai had enough roasting heat to drive the water from my freshly dipped clothes within two hours. And the same old guest house had the same old rooms above the same old restaurant that played the same old music, creating an atmosphere that would have been like coming home, if it hadn't been for the lack of Howard.

But where Kodai had a dry coolness that only the mountains can provide, Madurai slathered in the humidity of approaching summer. I hadn't noticed this on my previous visit because I hadn't yet visited anywhere cold in India (if you discount Calcutta) but after the chills of the hills, I found the steam of the plains disconcerting. It shortened my temper, and when I went for a stroll round a couple of places I hadn't managed to see on my first stopover, the touts whom I'd previously ignored with good grace and gritted teeth managed to touch a raw nerve. One particularly insistent clothes salesman started to follow me round with his promise of cheap clothes and excellent quality, so I turned round abruptly, palms out in front of me as if to push him away, and with my nose a few scant inches from his I said as politely as I could, 'No thank you.' He jumped back a mile, suppressing a stifled yelp: it got him off my case, but I couldn't help feeling a little guilty. After all, he was no worse than the rickshaw-wallahs and drug pushers I'd been shrugging off nonchalantly in every other tourist city, and I felt ashamed that India had finally got to me, even if it was a short, sharp moment that soon passed.

Madurai Food Special

NNNN = Extremely noisy and crowded

NNN = Noisy and crowded

NN = Moderately noisy and crowded

N = Spacious and reduced noise level

Food type

[S] = Spicy

[H] = Hot (meaning: Garam)

[T] = Tasty!

[NV] = Non-vegetarian

[V] = Vegetarian

[J] = Jain food

[NVV] = Non-vegetarian and Vegetarian

* Modern Restaurant $$/NN/[S]/[T]/[V] One of the heritage vegetarian restaurants located on west Avani street behind the YMCA. It is the best place to savour a traditional south Indian meal. They still serve the most authentic idly, dosa, pongal and kesari (as you would find in a traditional bramhin household). Their clientele has boasted of the famous Nehru and even Mahatma Gandhi. Even till a few years ago, their walls were covered with photographs of who's who of India. A must see and eat place!!

* Amma mess $$/NNN/[S]/[T]/[NV] Amma (Tamil equivalent for Mother) mess is a very popular dining place among the locals as well as those travelling from neighbouring districts. Located on Alagar Kovil Road at Tallakulam, it is at a equal distance from Tamukkam Post Office bus stop as well as Tallakulam Perumal Kovil bus stop. If you get down at the former, head NE else head SW if latter. Their lunch is very popular. Buses to Mattuthavani should take you to this place.

* Jaffer's Home Biryani $/NN/[NV]/[T] Popular place for Biryanis and side dishes. In the evening, they make Parottas as well. Buses to Mattuthavani or Alagarkovil should take you to this place. The nearest bus stop is Evening Madurai Kamaraj Univ stop or Madurai Corporation Eco Park stop. The dining place is located on a small street opposite to the Thyagaraja Petrol Station.

* Chappati Park $/NN/[V]/[T], nearby the K.K.Nagar Arch. As the name implies, the dining place is known for its variety with Chappati (roti like item). You name it, they got it! You can notice creative stuffing with Chappatis. Popular place for dinner. The nearest bus stop would be K.K.Nagar Court (Neetheemandram). Head E if you get down at the above stop. Buses to Mattuthavani would take you to this place.

* Hotel Sabarish $/NNNN/[V]/[T]/, Town Hall Road. A very popular dining place for dosas and uthappams. Don't miss it! It is very nearby to the Madurai Railway Junction. If you head towards the Town Hall Rd from the Railway station, the hotel is situated nearby the second 4-road intersection.

* Hotel meeenakshi Bhavan $$/NN/[V]/[T] Serves very good south Indian food. Also, the north Indian food is pretty good. But all hotels serve north Indian food only during Dinnertime.

* Hotel Harish $/NN/[V] South Masi Road. Pure veg restaurant. Excellent fast food items like pizzas and chat.It houses a bakery too.

* New Ariya Bhavan, West Masi Street, it serves good Bombay/marwadi thali and south indian thali. Also,it has some fine bengali sweets in addition to local south Indian sweets and savouries.

* Murugan Idly Shop, West Masi Street. Exclusively for very soft Idlies. Also good for DOSAs and other south Indian food.Try once.

* Hotel Aarthi [V], just behind to Koodal Alagar Temple, Near Town Bus stand. Serves Good and safefood of South Indian and Continental dishes.

However, dinner options are limited. Wherever you are, please don't forget to savour the hot "raw banana bhajia' or Kela Bhajia or valakkai bhajji Tamil. Also be wary of drinking water, better to buy water bottles.

Madurai Site Seeing

Meenakshi Temple

By far, the most common reason for visiting the city is the temple, dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi (considered a form of Parvati) with a sanctum for her consort, Sundareshwarar (or Siva). Actually, historically, the Sundereshwar shrine is the larger and older of the two temple complexes. The complex itself is a splendid example of the south Indian Dravida architectural idiom. Four immense gopurams or temple towers crown the gateways at each cardinal direction, easily visible from a distance. Each tower is encrusted with more than a thousand brilliantly painted sculptures depicting an assortment of mythological and auspicious themes. It is traditional to enter through the south gopuram and, unusually, worship the Goddess before her consort. Inside the shelter for shoe-storage, offering baskets of coconuts, bananas and incense are available in addition to images of the Goddess for home altars. Many pilgrims -- particularly the men in black or orange sarongs who are devotees of the god Ayyappan -- circumambulate the main temple itself in the prakara or space between the outer wall and main temple. In addition, snake shrines and an assortment of offices and classrooms of religious foundations are found here.

Within the temple, devotees line up for darshan or viewing of the deities. Please note, however, that non-Hindus are not permitted into the inner sancta of Meenakshi or Sundareshwarar; anyone who looks suspicious can and will be pulled out of line by attendants. However, there is an abundance of sculpture and painting accessible to all. In addition, the steps of the Pottramaraikulam or Golden Lotus Pond is open to all and is a common meeting place for inhabitants of the city, in addition to pilgrims and tourists. In ancient times, the sangam or assembly of poets was said to gather at this pool to judge the merits of new compositions, often by throwing the manuscripts into the pool itself. Those that sank were inferior while those that floated were worthy of praise and propagation.

There are many shops within the east gate, selling everything from plastic toys to bronze images of the Goddess. Be sure to bargain hard. NOTE:One can buy the special tickets at the counter[each Rs.15] to get a special darshan,which is nothing but cutting short the line by at least a half.

WARNING: Beware of guides who offer to take you to vantage points outside the temple to get a better view. You will be lured into shops that have a very hard sell..

Koodal Alagar Temple

Important Vaishnav Temple in the heart of the city, one of the Divya Desams ( 108) . Worshipped by "Alwars - Vasihnav Saints ". Worth to see and worship.

Thiruparankundram

One of the important old Temple dedicated to Lord Muruga - Karthikeya located on a hillock approximately 8 km from the city. First Arupadai Veedu. References to this ancient temple are available in scriptures from 6th century AD (Paripadal). The temple interior is a huge rectangular chamber carved out of the hill, with side chambers housing various deities of Hindu religion approached via narrow passages. The temple is accessible via road from Madurai and has a railway station 1 km away. Most express trains do not stop there though.

Alagar Temple

Another Vaishnav temple Alagar Koil, Famous for Chittrai ( First Tamil month)/9April-May)- Summer Festival, 20 km away from the city.

Pazhamudhir Solai

Near to Alagar Koil, important Temple for Lord Karthikeya on the hills , of course inside of Solai - jungle. One of the six important temple for Lord Muruga - Karthikeya. This is a very large and beautiful temple. You can take an Auto rickshaw from the Meenakshi temple to visit this temple for a charge of around Rs 100 (2007). Regular bus service is offered by the Transport Corporation. There is a utsavam of the diety on a golden chariot at 7PM.

Naickar Mahal

The remains of the palace of the 17th century ruler Thirumalai Naickar who contributed extensively to the Meenakshi Temple.Only a small portion of the original structure[which was four times as largeremains. There were originally two parts-Swargavilasa[heavenly pavilion],meant for the King,is harem and housing the darbar court,and the ranka vilasa,which was for the servants. Currently,entrance to the roof is prohibited due the renovation work being carried out by the Archaeological Department.They claim to finish work in 6 months.

There is a sound and light show in the evening (Both English & Tamil Version of the show)

There is also a museum, which houses not only the original portraits of Thirumalai naicker,but also unearthed stine carvings of the 17th century,along with many sculptures of Hindu Gods like Brahma, Nataraja, Saraswati of the period. There is one rare painting on one of the pillars,which the Archaeological Department claim to have unearthed from one of the pillars.There is a painting hidden in every pillar,apparently.

The other portion of the palace, Rankavilasam was demolished by Thirumalai Naicker's Grandson. However, a small structure still remains known as "Ten pillars" or "Pathu Thoon"[in Tamil]. Sadly,these ten pillars of timeless beauty are now surrounded by shops and residential houses.

Please do visit the Archaeological Department adjacent to the palace for more information.

Gandhi Museum

This museum, located on the north side of the river, houses Gandhi's bloodstained dhoti and little else by way of artifacts. Those interested in the freedom struggle, though, will be interested in the extensive text housed here.

Tamil speakers and long-term visitors may be interested in the classes and workshops offered in subjects as diverse as t'ai chi and local herbs. There is also a khadi bhavan (store selling village and handloom products) and bookstore, with (mostly Tamil) books on spiritual and natural health topics.

Also located on the campus of the museum is a government museum (across from the library). The museum is located in Tamukkam Palace near Goripalayam on the northern side of the river Vaikai.

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

A temple built in the middle of a man-made pond. Famous for its float festival (teppa tiruvila) conducted during the Thai Poosam (falls in the second half of January). Popular story is that the spot was excavated for its soil to be used for building 17th Century king Tirumala Nayakkar's palace. The king had ordered excavated spot to be converted into a 16 acre lake fed from Vaigai river through under ground channels. The river itself boasts of water only during North-East Monsoon season (Oct-Nov) and hence the lake has water from Nov to Feb.

Get Around Madurai

By bus

There are government and private buses that will take you around Madurai and also to places like Munnar, Kodaikanal, Kuttralam etc. For travel within the city, state government owned buses are available. These are heavily crowded during peak hours (around 8:00AM, 1:00PM and 5:00PM), but are cheap with a 5km trip costing you just Rs.3/-. Since most of the route information displayed on the bus will be in Tamil, it is best to take the bus conductor's help before venturing into this mode of transport.

By car

As elsewhere in India, you probably won't be renting a car on your own, but it is possible to hire a car and driver. See the main India article for more.

Average car rental to go to places like Alagar Temple,Thiruparakundram,Naicker Mahal,Palamudurcholai is Rs.600-650. Please be beware of cheats as foreign tourists are easily duped into paying more.

By Auto Rickshaws

The Auto Rickshaws are unmetered, which means you need to pre-negotiate your fare before commencing your travel. The rule of thumb rate is Rs10 per km of travel during day time(as of 2007) and Rs 15 per km during night. It is likely for auto rickshaw drivers to quote exorbitant rates to Foreigners and non-Tamilian Indians. It is usually safe to hire from central, well lit locations like the railway station. Otherwise caution should be used.

Get in

The flights connect mainly to Chennai(Madras). The airport is approximately 15 km from the city off National Highway 47. It is best to hire a "pre paid taxi" from the airport from the counter in the arrival lounge or pre-arrange for someone to pick you.

By rail

Madurai is well connected to the Indian Railway network and is the gateway to southern districts. Trains are available to/from Chennai(Madras), Bangalore, Mumbai(Bombay) and Delhi. Train journey from Chennai would take 8 to 10 hours. Many over night trains with sleeper facility (Air conditioned and non-air-conditioned) ply from Chennai.

By bus

• The city is well connected to all major cities in Tamil Nadu via state government operated and private buses. Buses also ply from important cities in neighbouring states of Kerala(Ernakulam, Trivandram) and Karnataka(Bangalore, Mysore). The buses vary from ordinary (with minimal cushions on the seats and no limit to number of persons in a bus) to Luxury (with cushioned, push back seats with AC costing Rs 500 in 2007). Sleeper A/c buses and Volvo buses are also available.

The city has several bus stands of which the bus stand in Mattuthavani is for inter city travel and is located about 6 km from city center. The Periyar bus stand, located near the railway station and 2 km from city center, is the hub for intra-city buses. Apart from this, private bus operators may have their starting and ending points right in front of their office and most of these offices are traditionally located near Periyar bus stand.

History

Madurai is a 2600 years old historical city surrounded by elegant natural plantations, technical institutes and textile mills situated in Tamilnadu, India.

The city is known for its rich heritage, culture and historical background in the sense that Lord Shiva himself performed sixty-four wonders called "Thiruvilaiyadals" in Madurai many centuries ago. Madurai is located on banks of river Vaigai and was the capital of Pandya kingdom.

Madurai is the busiest commercial center in south Tamilnadu. This sacred city of south India attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India and abroad. Legend says, Madurai was once called forest KADAMBAVANAM. Once a merchant named Dhananjaya who was passing through the forest, saw INDRAN - the king of Gods, worshipping a SWAYAMBHULINGAM under a kadamba tree in the forest. This was reported immediately to the king KULASHEKARA PANDYAN. Kulashekara cleared the forest and built a magnificent Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple around the sacred LINGAM and he built a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the naming ceremony of the city, Lord Shiva appeared magnificently to bless the city. The divine nectar (madhu) from the matted locks of Shiva fell on the blessed city. So, then the city was named "Madhurapuri". Madurai has reference in the great Indian epics - Ramayana , Kautilyas and Arthasastra.

As early as the 302BC, Megasthanes visited Madurai. Great travel-historians like Pliny (77AD) and Ptolemy (140AD) have made reference to Madurai in their travelogues. Marcopolo visited Madurai in 1293AD followed by Ibn Batuta in 1333AD. Later many people from Rome and Greece visited Madurai and established trade with the Pandya kings.

During the 10 century AD, Madurai was captured by Cholas. The Cholas ruled Madurai from 920 AD till the beginning of the 13th century. In 1223 AD Pandyas regained their kingdom and once again become prosperous. Pandian Kings patronised Tamil language in a great way. During their period, many master-pieces were created. "Silapathikaram", the great epic in Tamil was written based on the story of Kannagi who burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan. In April 1311, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who was then the ruler of Delhi, reached Madurai and raided and robbed the city for precious stones, jewels, and other rare treasures. This led to the subsequent raids by other Muslim Sultans. In 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai became a province of the Delhi empire, under the Tughlaks.

The 1371, the Vijayanagar dynasty of Hampi captured Madurai and Madurai became part of the Vijayanagar empire. Kings of this dynasty were in habit of leaving the captured land to governors called Nayaks. This was done for the efficient management of their empire. The Nayaks paid fixed amount annually to the Vijayanagar empire. After the death of Krishna Deva Raya (King of Vijayanagar empire) in 1530 AD, the Nayaks became independent and ruled the territories under their control. Among Nayaks, Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was very popular, even now he is popular among people, since, it was he who contributed to the creation of many magnificent structures in and around Madurai. The Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Pudu Mandapam and The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace are living monuments to his artistic fervor.

Madurai started slipping into the hands of the British's East India Company. In 1781, British appointed their representatives to look after Madurai. George Procter was the first collector of Madurai.

Now after Indian independence, Madurai is one of the major districts of Tamilnadu State. Madurai is surrounded by several mountains. It is famous for Jasmine Flowers. Jasmine flowers are transported to various other cities of India from Madurai. Kodaikanal is the beautiful hill resort situated near Madurai. The city is surrounded by three small prominent hills which are called the Anaimalai, Pasumalai and Nagamalai named after their resemblance to an Elephant, a Cow and a Snake respectively.

Madurai, one of India's oldest cities, boasts of a history dating back to Sangam period of the pre-Christian era. It was home to the ancient Tamil Sangam (The Academy of Tamil Learning), and hosted the literary conclave that produced the first Tamil epic Silappathikaaram and other literary masterpieces. Megasthenes, the ancient Greek diplomat and envoy to India in 3rd century BC, had written in glowing terms about Madurai in Indica, his much celebrated account on India. Madurai reached its height of glory during the rule of the Cholas, and finally the Pandyas in the 13th century.

Pandyas

The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, which stands today as one of India's cultural and architectural landmarks, was originally built by the Pandya King Kulasekaran. The ancient city of Madurai was then developed in a Lotus like formation with the temple at the center and streets and main thoroughfares layered one after the other in a concentric fashion. It is important to note that these streets were named after months in the Tamil calendar. For example, the first layer is named after the Tamil month of Aadi and the streets are named North, South, East, and West Aadi Streets. Next to Aadi street is Chithirai street. Legend has it that on the day the city was to be named, Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. The city hence came to be known as "Madhurapuri" meaning "The Land of Divine Nectar". The city has often been referred to as "Athens of the East" thanks to the beautiful architecture of all the ancient monuments and to meticulous urban planning.

Muslim Rule

In 1311 AD Madurai was invaded by Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who ruled the Delhi Sultanate. Subsequently, the sanctum sanctorum of the Meenakshi Temple was closed and the main deity was shifted to the Ardhamandapam. Madurai remained in control of Muslim rulers for the next fifty years. However, in 1371, the Vijayanagar rulers of Hampi raided the city and annexed it to their Kingdom.

Nayak Rule

Vijayanagar rulers appointed Governors known as Nayaks to administer this newly annexed territory.Later by 1545 the Nayaks became more autonomuus establishing the Madurai Nayak dynasty ruling upto 1740's.The temple was reopened and the Nayaks, most notably Thirumalai Nayak, contributed much to the rebuilding of the temple that had almost been destroyed during the Muslim rule. The Nayaks made lasting contributions to the city's architecture such as the Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Temple, and the Thirumalai Nayak Palace. After the Vijayanagar empire collapsed in 1565, the Nayak dynasty continued to rule Madurai for about two centuries.

Rani Mangammal (1689-1704) was other notable ruler who made large contributions to the cities structures.During her reign Shivaji Bhonsle, the great Maratha Ruler, invaded the south; and so did Chikka Deva Raya of Mysore and other Muslim Rulers, resulting in chaos and instability all around.Rani Mangammal,stood up against these invasions. Though her rule lasted no more than two decades, she will forever be cherished by the people of Madurai for the prudence, determination and courage she exhibited during a particularly troublesome period, with very little support from outside.The kingdom began to break up after her rule as her successors were weak rulers and invasions of Madurai recommenced.

British Rule

Madurai soon started slipping into the hands of the British East India Company. By 1801, the whole of Madurai district, which then was made up of Dindigul, Palani, Kodaikkanal, Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai was brought under the control of British East India Company. Madurai was the birthplace of American academic Vida Dutton Scudder. American missionary Henry Martyn Scudder came to Madurai in 1846.

Today, Madurai stands on the banks of the river Vaigai. The city is well known for its spiritual hill Thiruparankundram which abodes lord Subramaniya . Apart from this the ancient city is also surrounded by three small prominent hills which are called the Anaimalai, Pasumalai and Nagamalai from their supposed resemblance to an elephant, a cow and a snake respectively.

Madurai History

Madurai is the busiest commercial center in south Tamilnadu. This sacred city of south India attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India and abroad. Legend says, Madurai was once called forest KADAMBAVANAM. Once a merchant named Dhananjaya who was passing through the forest, saw INDRAN - the king of Gods, worshipping a SWAYAMBHULINGAM under a kadamba tree in the forest. This was reported immediately to the king KULASHEKARA PANDYAN. Kulashekara cleared the forest and built a magnificent Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple around the sacred LINGAM and he built a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the naming ceremony of the city, Lord Shiva appeared magnificently to bless the city. The divine nectar (madhu) from the matted locks of Shiva fell on the blessed city. So, then the city was named "Madhurapuri". Madurai has reference in the great Indian epics - Ramayana , Kautilyas and Arthasastra.

As early as the 302BC, Megasthanes visited Madurai. Great travel-historians like Pliny (77AD) and Ptolemy (140AD) have made reference to Madurai in their travelogues. Marcopolo visited Madurai in 1293AD followed by Ibn Batuta in 1333AD. Later many people from Rome and Greece visited Madurai and established trade with the Pandya kings.

During the 10 century AD, Madurai was captured by Cholas. The Cholas ruled Madurai from 920 AD till the beginning of the 13th century. In 1223 AD Pandyas regained their kingdom and once again become prosperous. Pandian Kings patronised Tamil language in a great way. During their period, many master-pieces were created. "Silapathikaram", the great epic in Tamil was written based on the story of Kannagi who burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan. In April 1311, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who was then the ruler of Delhi, reached Madurai and raided and robbed the city for precious stones, jewels, and other rare treasures. This led to the subsequent raids by other Muslim Sultans. In 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai became a province of the Delhi empire, under the Tughlaks.

The 1371, the Vijayanagar dynasty of Hampi captured Madurai and Madurai became part of the Vijayanagar empire. Kings of this dynasty were in habit of leaving the captured land to governors called Nayaks. This was done for the efficient management of their empire. The Nayaks paid fixed amount annually to the Vijayanagar empire. After the death of Krishna Deva Raya (King of Vijayanagar empire) in 1530 AD, the Nayaks became independent and ruled the territories under their control. Among Nayaks, Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was very popular, even now he is popular among people, since, it was he who contributed to the creation of many magnificent structures in and around Madurai. The Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Pudu Mandapam and The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace are living monuments to his artistic fervor.

Madurai started slipping into the hands of the British's East India Company. In 1781, British appointed their representatives to look after Madurai. George Procter was the first collector of Madurai.

Now after Indian independence, Madurai is one of the major districts of Tamilnadu State. Madurai is surrounded by several mountains. It is famous for Jasmine Flowers. Jasmine flowers are transported to various other cities of India from Madurai. Kodaikanal is the beautiful hill resort situated near Madurai. The city is surrounded by three small prominent hills which are called the Anaimalai, Pasumalai and Nagamalai named after their resemblance to an Elephant, a Cow and a Snake respectively.