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| Meenakshi Temple | Madurai, blessingsonthenet.com |
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| Meenakshi Temple | Madurai, smarthistory.org image. Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Meenakshi Temple | Madurai, smarthistory.org image.Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0) |
Madurai city of Tamil Nadu, one of the ancient cities in India is more than 2500 years old. Once it was home to the Tamil Sangam where great Tamil poets and scholars produced voluminous Tamil literature.
This historic city ruled by Pandyas and Nayaks is very much intertwined with the grand Meenakshi (fish eyed) Amman Temple which is replete with superb artistictically rich and life-like sculptures carved out of rocks in various halls (mandapas_ inside this vast temple. located in the center of the city surround by many broad streets in succession the temple's prime deity is goddess Meenakshi (Parvati) who is enshrined in the main shrine. Close to it is the shrine of god Shiva in the form of Sundareswaran. The belief here has been that the goddess rules the city and the surroundings in the first six months and the rulers never held the symbol of power Scepter
The ‘pattabhishekam’ (coronation) of Goddess Meenakshi is performed on the eighth day of the annual Chithirai festival at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. She is said to be the tutelary deity of Madurai and is considered a form of the goddess Parvati and the sister of Aḻagar, a form of Vishnu. She finds mention in literature as the queen of the ancient Madurai-based Pandya kingdom, and is later deified.
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| Meenakshi Amman, Madurai .quora.com |
Goddess Meenakshi, a revered figure in Hindu mythology, particularly in Tamil Nadu, is often associated with the city of Madurai. She is considered an incarnation of the goddess Parvati and is depicted as a warrior goddess. Her many legends and stories are part of the rich array of Tamil mythology and are often linked with the history of the Pandya dynasty, which is said to have ruled Madurai for centuries. Such stories have no baking historical records particularly of her role as a historical figure of Madurai.
The stories of Meenakshi's reign are part of the rich tapestry of Tamil mythology and are often intertwined with the history of the Pandya dynasty, which is said to have ruled Madurai. The temple dedicated to her, the Meenakshi Amman Temple, is a significant religious and cultural site, but it is important to note that her existence and rule are rooted in mythology rather than documented history.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva- Sundareswarar (handsome Lord) the temple complex is in the center of this busy city, bearing testimony to the antiquity of the Tamil culture.The Meenakshi Amman temple is a heaven for Architects. Every place in the temple is artistically decorated. The massive ornate pillars and the life-size stone sculptures and countless masonry images of deities in the Hindu Pantheon are just spellbinding. Despite the passing of 2500 plus years, and vagaries of weather in a tropical country where the summer is very hot, the beauty and the grandeur of this temple is yet to show signs of wear and tear. Simply a masterpiece of Native Indian temple architecture.
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| Madurai temple smarthistory.org mage. Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Meenakshi Temple, Madurai,Tower(s),mages of fditie, etc .flickr.com |
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| Tower with images of deities Meenakshi temple Madurai, flickr.com |
The temple complex, one of the largest in India, covers 45 acres of land and the massive building covers 254 by 237 meters. Sculpted and painted Gopurams (towers), twelve in number, that cover the periphery on all sides; the tallest tower being the 170 ft tall Southern tower
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| .Madurai temple design holydham.com |
The temple was almost totally damaged except Amman shrine during the Muslim invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310, the army commander of the Delhi Sultanate ruled by Alauddin Khilji who was responsible for demonising many temples in south India such as Srirangam, Valikandapuram and Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, Hampi and nearby temples. Chandragiri kingdom and the temples there.
The famous Nayak King Viswanatha Nayak 1559 -1600 AD took up the difficult job of rebuilding of the temple. Fortunately, the temple priests hid the main idols and saved them. Later King Thirumalai Nayak- 1623- 1659 built the Vasantha Mandapa, Kilikoottu Mandapam, Teppakulam and other monuments. Thirugnana Sambandar, the famous Hindu saint mentions this temple as early as the 7th century.
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| Mukkuruni Vinayagar, the largest in the south..vedicodyssey.com |
The most attractive sub shrine in the outer prakara of the templeis that of a large monolithic stone idol of Lord Ganesa called ''Mukuruny'' Vinayakar. Purportedly found below the ground while Thirumalai Nayak was excavating the temple tank about 3 km from the temple, visitors to the temple exit only after visiting this shrines and offering prayers to him.
Yet another and a rare feature is of that of large idol of sri Nataraja (cosmic dancer) covered with silver leaves in the Kilikoontu Mandapam. It is placed in a silver-plated alter, hence called Velli Ambalam '(in Tamil Velli means silver).
It is said that the figure of Goddess Meenakshi Amman at this temple is engraved out of a single Emerald (Maragatham in Tamil) gem stone.
The Kadamba tree, which is said to be part of the same tree under which Indra worshiped Shiva Linga, is in the outer corridor.
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| Meenakshi temple,Madurai. 1000 Pillars halltumblr.com |
This temple is famous for its 'Aayiram Kaal Mandapam' meaning a hall with thousand pillars. Actually it has 985 exquisitely carved pillars. It was built in 1569 (ASI);Yet another attraction is the musical pillars.
The annual Meenakshi Kalyanam ( celestial wedding) is conducted in the near by hall (chithirai festival) called Kalyana Mandapam.
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| Meenakshi Amman temple,.maduraionline.in |
Above image: Ashta Sakthi Mandapam (hall), built by the wives of Thirumalai Nayak. in Meenakshi Temple, TN, South India.......The Golden Lotus Tank (water tank or Kulam) known as 'Potramaraikulam' has connections with 'The Tamil Sangam', meaning ancient academy of eminent poets wo used to meet here. The tank is surrounded by by pillared corridor with beautiful paintings of Puranic events.
The swing Mandapam or Oonjal Mandapam in Tamil and Killikoontu, parrot cage, are situated on the western side of the tank. As part of temple ritual, the golden idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are reverentially seated on the swing - Oonjal every Friday for pooja and prayer.
The Vasantha Mandapam, also known as the Pudhu Mandapam, built by Thirumalai Nayak holds the spring festivals - April/May. Scenes from Shiva and Goddess Meenakshi wedding are depicted here. So are the figures of the Nayak kings and their consorts in these pillars.
Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple is being visited by more than 7000 to 8000 people each day. On festival days such as Chitrai, Karthigai deepam, etc, there will be more visitors.
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| Meenakshi temple. Nataraja idol with a raised right leg. ' jaybeetrident.blogspot.com |
The Nataraja shrine at Madurai is known as Rajata Sabha, where Shiva is depicted dancing with a raised right foot standing on his left foot. unlike raised left foot in all temples. This is called ''Kaal maari aadiya pattalam,''
https://smarthistory.org/meenakshi-madurai/
https://www.holydham.com/temple-design-and-architecture/
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/preview/8274938273148772169/64450009
https://blessingsonthenet.com/indian-temple/id/217/meenakshi-temple-madurai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meenakshi_Amman_Temple
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