Best Travel to Madurai
The antiquity of Madurai can be gauged from the fact that it was the venue of the three Tamil Sangams under the auspices of the Pandyas, the exact date of the first is still in the realm of imagination and bone of contention among the historians. However, it can be said with absolute certainty that the period for the last two dates back to the first couples of centuries of the Christian era. It served as the capital of the great Pandya Kingdom of the South India.
Fondly called Athens of the East, Madurai is surrounded by several mountains. Three hills called Yanaimalai, Nagamalai, Pasumalai named after Elephant, Snake and Cow respectively serve as the boundary of the city. The city is also noted for Jasmine Flowers which are transported to other parts of India.
The travel destination of Madurai is a must for anyone willing to visit Tamil Nadu. Best Indian Travel offers a comprehensive Madurai Pilgrimage travel. The city offers a wide range of attractions. But it the grand Meenakshi Sundareswarar twin Temple which is the most dominant force in the life of this city. The area of the Temple complex measuring about 65000 sq m is one of the largest of its kind in India.
Places of interest
Shree Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple
One of the major travel destinations of India, the Meenakshi Temple attracts pilgrims in thousands, from the lengthy and breadth of India. The temple is named after the Pandyan princess. Legend has it that she was born with three breasts. This caused an anxiety among the Panyan kingdom. However it was told that extra breast would disappear, when she met the man of her choice to marry. This happened when she met Lord Shiva on Mount Kailas. Shiva arrived in Madurai, later, in the form of Lord Sundereswara, and married her.
A superb example of Dravidian architecture, the Meenakshi temple has gopurams or multi pillared halls. "Ayiramkaal Mandapam" or the Hall of Thousand Pillars is the most striking feature of the temple. The sculpture carved on each of the pillar is wonderful. These are replete with numerous multicolored images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple has four entrances to it. The museum called the Temple Art Gallery, is located within the temple complex and contains beautiful stone and brass images, examples of South Indian scripts.
Other attractions
Tirumalai Nayak Palace is a kilometer away from the temple and was built in 1636 by the ruler, after whom it has been named. Though much of the palace is only in ruins, the entrance gate, main hall and dance hall remain intact. Gandhi Museum provides some of the little - known facts about Mahatma Gandhi. It has the blood - stained dhoti worn by Mahatma Gandhi, at the time of his assassination in 1948. During the months of January and February Teppam Festival (Float Festival) is celebrated at Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank, few kilometers east of the Madurai city.
Madurai : How to Get There
Air: There are daily flights to and from Tiruchirapalli, Chennai and Bangalore.
Rail: There are train connections to Madurai from Madras, which takes eight hours via Trichy and from Rameshwaram, takes six hours. If you approach Madurai from Kerala, some spectacular scenes of the Western Ghats can be viewed.
Bus: There is very good service from Madurai to most of the major cities in the state. State run or private buses commute at regular intervals.
