Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple Latest News

Hundreds of street vendors have been left struggling after being recently evicted from the roads surrounding the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple as part of measures to regulate traffic and pedestrian movement ahead of the temple’s Maha Kumbabishekam.

About Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

• Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also called Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• The temple is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati; her consort Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva; and her brother Alagar, a form of Vishnu. 
• The temple is theologically significant, as it represents a confluence of the Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism denominations of Hinduism.  

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Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple History

• It was built during the Pandya reign by Kulasekarer Pandya. 
• According to historical findings, the creation of this temple can be traced back to early A.D.
• There are mentions of this temple in the songs of the great Hindu Saint Thirugnanasambandar, who lived during the 7th century. 
• It is also said that during the 12th or 13th century, at the time of Islamic conquest, this temple was destroyed to an extent. 
• However, later it was restored to its present structure. It was later expanded during the rule of Thirumalai Nayak (1623-55 AD). During this time, the present structure of the temple came into being. 

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple Architecture

• It is a finest example of the Dravidian style of architecture.  
• Spread over an area of 45 acres of land, it is a massive complex measuring 254 by 237 meters.  
• The temple is surrounded by 14 towers, the tallest of which, the famous Southern tower, rises to over 170 feet high, built in the year 1559. 
• The oldest gopuram is the eastern one, built by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan during 1216-1238. 
• The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is based. 
• The temple has four entrances, while the entrance on the Eastern side being the main temple entrance. 
• There are several corridors, and halls such as Aayirankaal (1000-pillared hall), Kilikoondu-mandapam, Golu-mandapam, and Pudu-mandapam, and shrines inside the temple. The corridors and pillars are adorned with wonderful artwork. 
• The Thousand Pillar Hall contains 985 (instead of 1000) carved pillars. It was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar in 1569 and currently houses a museum with artifacts collected from Madurai from the 8th century onwards. 
• There are the Musical Pillars outside this hall towards the west. Each pillar produces a different musical note when struck. 
• The temple is an architectural wonder with an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple.

News: NIE