The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is located in the heart of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu in India covering an area of around 45 acres. The greatest architectural marvel of India is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Sundareswarar and his wife the Goddess Parvati in the form of Meenakshi.
Also called Meenakshi Amman Temple was built by Pandya King Kulasekara and reconstructed later by Ruler Thirumalai Nayak, the temple has patronized literature, art, music and dance ever since its inception. It is a significant symbol for the Tamil people attracting six thousand visitors a day and gets an annual revenue of rupees sixty million. Recently nominated in the list for the new Seven Wonders of the World and the temple was selected one of the Seven Wonders of India.
The temple complex is within a high-walled enclosure with five entrances covers an area of 254.1m long and 237.6m wide in the North South direction, surrounded by smaller shrines and grand pillared halls. There are 12 temple towers or Gopurams. Their soaring towers rise from solid granite bases, and are covered with stucco figures of dieties, mythical animals and monsters painted in vivid colours. The outer towers are the landmarks of Madurai.
East Tower (Nine Storeys) - 1011 sudhai figures.
South Tower (Nine Storeys) - 1511 sudhai figures.
West Tower (Nine Storeys) - 1124 sudhai figures.
North Tower (Nine Storeys) - It has lesser figures than other outer towers.
In addition there are five towers on top of the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord, three on top of the sanctum sanctorum of the Goddess and two golden towers or gopurams, and all which have been exquisitely designed and sculptured. All fourteen towers have been segregated based on the stages they are:
Nine tier gopurams(4)
Seven tier, Chittirai gopuram(1)
Five tier gopurams(5)
Three tier gopurams(2)
Golden gopurams(2)
The Pyramidal Gates rise to a height of more than 50m. These towering gateways indicate the entrance to the temple complex at the four cardinal points, while lesser gopuras lead to the sanctums of the main dieties. The figures of deities on the tower are repaired, repainted and ritually reconsecrated every 12 years.
Pyramidal Gate – Meenakshi Temple
Some of the most largest and spectaculars mandapam or hall are:
Ashta Shakthi Mandapam
A hall food built by Thirumalai Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi Ammal and Tholimamai. In ancient times in this hall, the food was distributed to the devotees who came from far off places. This hall has a votive lamp-holder with 1,008 lamps, which are lit on festive occasions and present a spectacular sight. The sculptures on the pillars here relate some of miracles of Lord and also the story of Meenakshi's birth and her life as the princess of Madurai.
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