India is a country with varied cultural backgrounds that differs from place to place. The evidence of this can be found in the ancient temples, monasteries, monuments, and buildings that were built by our ancestors in the honor of their leaders or divine being, reflecting a specific cultural backdrop with a twist of regional touch. Meenakshi temple in Madurai is one such piece of work. The temple is a popular divine shrine for the Hindu devotees as well as a perfect spot to witness the unique kinda architecture.
This 14th-century temple exhibits the old architectural style of India and finesses art designs of that time. The temple’s worshipping deity is Goddess Meenakshi, a form of Paravati and her consort Sundareshwara i.e Lord Shiva residing in the sanctum sanatorium of the temple. This is why the temple is also popular as Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple.
Being the oldest shrine, this temple is among the most visited temples of South India. Every year millions of visitors come to seek the blessings of Meenakshi Amma and Lord Sundareshwara. During important festivals, the temple is seen jammed with the venerators and devotees of Goddess Meenakshi. This beautiful Madurai temple is one of the richest shrines of Tamil Nadu.
A peerless masterpiece
The thing that captivates the eyes is the mind-blowing architecture of the main temple with fine artistic designs and vibrant hues outlining the temple beauty. It seems like the temple is itself an ultimate example of the high caliber of ancient Indian architecture which can be easily seen in the temple walls and murals. With the exceptional artworks, one can infer that the temple is constructed without any flaws. It seems one of a kind in the whole world and is an epitome of excellence and mastery.
Temple Structure And Architecture
source: Deccan Chronicle
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswara Temple is the heart of Madurai which has been attracting a large number of tourists and venerators from all over the world for years. The majestic Dravidian style of architectural work is what the temple is famous for.
The temple is spread in 45 acres of land having 14 pyramidal-shaped tower gates called Gopurams, out of which the four are main facing North, East, West, and South. These four main towers are of nine tiers and are called Rajagopurams. The South Rajagopuram is the highest one among all the towers with 52 meters height. There are one seven-tier gopuram and five other gopurams with five tiers, two three-tier gopurams, and two golden gopurams. The temple has overall 4500 pillars and around 33000 sculptures.
There is an Ashta Shakti Mandapam and Pottramarai Kulam or Golden Lotus Tank. You will also find a museum within the temple complex that displays the artistic works and antique materials of ancient times.
Mythology
Goddess Meenakshi, a form of Goddess Parvati appeared out of the Yagna performed by Malayadwaja Pandya and her wife Kanchanmalai as three years old girl having three breasts. Her third breast was prophesied to disappear once she meets her right man. As Meenakshi met Sundareshwara who was the incarnation of Lord Shiva, her third breast disappeared. They both get married in the sacred land of Madurai where exactly the Meenakshi Amman temple is now.
History of Meenakshi Temple
The temple’s existence has been mentioned earlier in the various religious texts that date back to around the 4th and 6th century. But it is said to be first built in around the 7th century by the Pandyan dynasty ruler, Kulesekhara Pandya. The king followed the instructions of Lord Shiva who came in his dreams and asked him to construct the temple. Later around the 14th century, the temple was disrupted by an Islamic invader who looted the temple’s valuable belongings.
In the 16th century, the temple was again set up and restored by a Nayak ruler, Vishwanath Nayaka which was later carried out by Tirumalai Nayaka in the 17th century using the Shilpa Shastras, and this is how the present structure of the Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple was erected.
source: Mystery of India
Timings For Visitation
The temple is open from early morning till night ten. In the meantime, the temple remains closed between 12 pm to 4 pm as it is the time when the main deity is not open for visitation. One has to follow temple dress codes that should be either traditional or decent wearing that should not skin show.
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