Madurai
or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and second largest city of
Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of
Pandyan rulers till the 14th century. Madurai is an animated city packed
with pilgrims, beggars, businesspeople, bullock carts and legions of
underemployed rickshaw- wallahs. Dating about 2500 years back in time, it is
one of southern India's oldest cities, and has been a centre of learning and
pilgrimage for centuries. Reading through inscriptions, travelogues and the
writings of missionaries, one can gather that Madurai was the cynosure of
all eyes because of its prosperity. Ibn Batuta describes the beauty of
Madurai in the midst of the destruction, as having a layout and scheme that
was centred round the Vaigai.
A Historical Perspective
The Imperial Cholas of Thanjavur maintained a hegemony over Madurai. The
city had the title Maduraikondan, or the "Vanquisher of Madurai".
This led to a period of sullen co-existence and the Pandyas of Madurai wooed
sri Lanka and Kerala to throw in their lot with them to create multi-focal
disturbances in order to get back power.Later, when Madurai came under the
Vijayanagara Kings and established a governorship under Nagamma Nayak, the
city played a pivotal role in holding together the southern regions of the
empire. The development of an army and the accumulation of wealth. Often
hidden and unaccounted for, from the central power helped the Nayaks to
break free and establish an independent state centred around Madurai.
Gangadevi, the author of Madhuravijayam, has established that the conquest
of Madurai was most crucial to the building of the Vijayanagara Empire, as
controlling this town permitted them to hold sway over the heartland in the
South.
The Roman Connection
The Pandyas, who ruled Madurai through two millennia, were a sea-faring
dynasty and maintained close links with Sri Lanka and other nations and
islands in the Indian Ocean. Back home, it was with Kerala. They established
trade, the products being pearls, spices, cloth and other commodities.
Imperial Rome coveted these riches and the impact of counter-trade can be
judged going by the discovery of numerous Roman coins in excavations at
Madurai.
» Airways : There are daily flights to and from Tiruchirapalli,
Madras and Bangalore.
» Railways : 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.
»
Roadways : 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.
The magnetic pull of the city!
»
Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi temple, as we know it today, covers a vast area and is an
eclectic mix of architectural styles, improved upon by different dynasties
such as the Vijayanagara and Nayaka rulers. The temple is dedicated to
Meenakshi, the consort of Lord Shiva. The original temple was built by
Kulasekara Pandya, but the entire credit for making the temple as splendid
as it is today goes to Tirumalai Nayak who brought back glory to this
magnificent structure.
Located at the heart of the city, the Meenakshi-Sundareshwar temple has
long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as
well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. People of the
city wake up to the chant of hymns at the temple, which is the very centre
of their cultural and religious life.
» Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam
This is a huge temple tank about 5 km east of the Meenakshi temple. The
mandapam in the centre has an idol of Vigneshwara (Vinayaka). Discovered
during excavation to build the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, the place was
believed to be sanctified and was converted into a teppakulam (tank). This
enormous temple tank is fed by water brought from the Vagai through an
ingenious system of underground channels. It is the site of the temple's
float festival.
» Thirumalai Nayak Mahal
There is no other building in Madurai, which better illustrates the
architectural style of the Nayaks. The palace of Tirumalai Nayak is about 1
km away from the temple. This Indo-Saracenic building was constructed in
1523 and was originally four times as large as it is today. This palace
consisted mainly of two parts, namely Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa which
house the royal residence, theatre, shrine, apartments, armoury, palanquin
place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and gardens. The most remarkable part
of this palace is the dome of Swarga Vilasam, which lies beyond a huge
courtyard and is a magnificent example of the engineering skill of its
builders, rising as it does to a height of 20m without support of any kind.
» Koodal Azhagar Temple
This ancient shrine has Vishnu in sitting, standing and reclining postures
one above the other.
» The Gandhi Museum
The Gandhi Memorial Museum is one of the distinct places to be visited in
Madurai. This museum is one of the rare living memorials of "The Father
of India" and has an elaborate historical account of India's struggle
for independence.
» Annamalai and Nagamalai
Annamalai and Nagamalai are two striking rock formations, and home to
ascetics of the Jain and Hindu faiths. There are inaccessible caves with
Tamil Brahmi inscriptions on rock beds which are chiselled out as quarters
for the sages. The sages, reclusive philosophers and savants, were
responsible for the development of the Tamil Language, Madurai, the cradle
of Tamil Literature, attained further eminence on hosting the Tamil
Sangam-an epochal events in the history of the language.
»
Manalur
The chance discovery of 13th century icons of Bikshadanar and Krishna in
child form, a sacred conch, a lamp and other vessels at Manalur, about 20 km
from Madurai, has thrown fresh light on the history of this place.For most
people living in Madurai, Manalur is known as just a sleepy suburb of the
temple city, situated on the banks of river Vaigai, known for its brick
kilns and as a main quarry for sand. But very few know that the place once
served as the capital of the Pandya kings.Places with names like
Iravathanallur, named after Lord Indra_s elephant Airavata, Virahanur,
Konthagai (Kunthinagaram) etc., near Manalur suggest links to the episodes
mentioned in Mahabharata. The place was also famous during the rule of later
Pandyas. A detailed excavation at Manalur may help unravel many mysteries
connected with Pandya kings.
Festivals
» The Chittarai Festival
The Chittarai festival, conducted over 10 days, is one of the most splendid
religious pageants. The Nayaks of Madurai were mainly responsible in
resurrecting it especially after rebuilding and restoring the temple_s
glory. They made this ritual participatory and gave an impetus to the show
by reaffirming their coronation vows and receiving the sceptre from the
temple, as if deriving their power from the gods. The spirit of
participation is unmatched. People from every village and hamlet in and
around Madurai congregate towards the temple and the river and walk through
the night listening to the troubadours and balladeers recreating the heroic
deed of warriors and of saints.
Bio diversity
Within the present town, there are areas with the prefix kudal, an
indication that hamlets existed at the confluence of streams. There were
many streams, water-channels and minor tributaries of the Vaigai that
created a network of waterways in and around Madurai, which fed and
sustained a lush forest. These salubrious forests are now to be found at
Sirrumalai, Palanimalai, Alagarmalai and Nattamalai, the repository of
medicinal plants and endemic species of trees of immense bio-diverse value.
Denizens
The people of Madurai are incredibly friendly with the brotherly way of
talking. The local slang would seem to be more affectionate language.
Madurai people can pick-up a thread of discussion with strangers easily.
Naturally, they have the helping tendency for others. People normally get up
early in the morning, religiously take their bath, offer their prayers after
lighting the lamps, create abstract patterns with flours at house entrances
and pay their visits to the temples. Though the city of Madurai has become
an industrial, commercial and educational center besides retaining its
spiritual heritage.
Unpack here!
In the pilgrim city of Madurai, there are lots of inexpensive hotels. Good,
clean and economical hotels can be found along Town Hall Road and Dindigul
Road. The two premier hotels in town are across the Vaigai River, along
Alagatkoil Road. These two hotels are Hotel Madurai Ashok and Pandyan Hotel.
Madurai
Tourism
