#Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple

[pazzesco]

Meenakshi Temple

Main Gate of Meenakshi temple, Madurai

The Meenakshi Temple (Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple) is an historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Shakti, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva.

An aerial view of the compound from the top of the southern gopuram, looking north.

The north tower of the temple

Meenakshi temple has 14 colourful gopura (entrance towers). These are gateways to various shrines and mandapas.

The Airakkal Mandapa (Thousand Pillars Hall) of the Great Pagoda

Carved pillar - Female Musician playing an alapini vina or Kinnari vina in the Thousand Pillars Hall

The massive temple is enclosed by high walls entered through soaring gopuras, or gateway towers. Inside are colonnades, columned mandapas (halls, some of which were used for shops, storerooms, and stables), a sacred tank, lesser shrines, and, at the centre, the two main shrines to Sundareswarar and Meenakshi. The gopuras are some of the most elaborately decorated in India. Brightly painted, they are completely covered with figures of divinities, celestial beings, monster masks, guardians, and animal mounts. The tallest of the 14, the southern gopura, rises to more than 170 feet

View of the temple from the west-side tower

Looking up at the South Tower

Meenakshi Temple

Vishnu (left) gives away his sister and bride Meenakshi's hand into the waiting hand of groom Shiva. The temple commemorates this legend every year with a festive procession.

Thousand-Pillared Hall, 16th century

Another view...

Golden tower (shikhara) of the Madurai Meenakshi temple

The Meenakshi from behind the Temple Pool

Golden Lotus in the temple pool.

Meenakshi temple decorated for the Navarathri festival.

Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights and ten days

Temple at Madura photographed in 1860 by Francis Frith

#The Meenakshi Temple #navarathri festival #Durga #Airakkal Mandapa #thousand-pillared hall #gopura #1000 pillars hall #thousand pillars hall #Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple

[colin-ross]

Last weekend I visited the Hindu Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple in Madurai. They do not allow photographs inside the Temple (indeed you have to check your mobile phone in!) so these are just outside photographs.

The Temple is probably the most impressive I have ever visited.

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple was built by Pandayan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE–1205 CE), but a Temple on this site was mentioned in 6th century texts so dates back earlier. I couldn’t access the central Temple as access is limited to Hindus only. It has been added to over the years with additional gopurams being built along with other improvements.

The artwork is simple amazing and certainly worth a visit if you are in the area!

This is my last temple for a while. I would have liked to visit Hampi but the logistics are just too horrible to work around, so that will be the one that got away…