Sri Meenakshi Temple is one of the most iconic and ancient temples in
India, located in the heart of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu. The temple is
dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, an incarnation of Parvati, and her
consort, Lord Sundareswarar, an avatar of Lord Shiva.
Sri Meenakshi Temple is said to have
been built over 2,500 years ago by the Pandya kings and has been
expanded and renovated over time by various rulers. The temple’s
architectural marvels include intricate carvings, towering gopurams
(towers), and stunning artwork depicting various Hindu mythologies.
Sri Meenakshi Temple is a popular destination for pilgrims and tourists from all over
the world, and its annual festival, Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, is a grand
celebration that attracts millions of visitors.
Sri Meenakshi Temple History
The Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple dates back to Pandayan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE-1205 CE). The main portions
of the three-storeyed Gopuram at the entrance of Sundareswarar Shrine
and the central part of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine were built by him.
Sri Meenakshi Temple was looted and destroyed by the armies of Delhi Sultanate led
by Muslim Commander Malik Kafur in the early 14th century. The
Vijayanagara Empire rulers rebuilt the temple, and it was further
renovated and expanded in the 17th century by Tirumala Nayaka. The
complex now has 14 gopurams and various sculpted pillared halls, and its
shrines are dedicated to Hindu deities and Shaivism scholars. The
vimanas above the garbhagrihas of Meenakshi and Sundaresvara are gilded
with gold.
Dedicated to Meenakshi Devi and Shiva, the temple is a prominent
pilgrimage destination within the Shaivism tradition. Despite being a
Shaivism temple, Vishnu is included in many narratives, sculptures and
rituals as Meenakshi’s brother, making it a part of Vaishnava texts. The
complex also includes other deities such as Lakshmi, Krishna, Brahma,
Saraswati, and features artwork depicting Hindu texts.
The temple
attracts tens of thousands of visitors daily and over a million pilgrims
during the annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival. The temple
was declared India’s best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2017.
Sri Meenakshi Temple Workship
The Meenakshi Amman temple is an active center of Hindu worship where
priests perform daily puja ceremonies and volunteers and temple staff
participate in rituals such as symbolically moving an icon of
Sundaresvara to Meenakshi’s chamber each night.
The temple also hosts
periodic ratha processions and a Golu dolls festival. The temple has a
six-time pooja calendar with four rituals each for Meenakshi and
Sundareswarar. The temple is accompanied by music and recitation of the
Vedas. The Fridays during the Tamil months of Aadi and Thai are
celebrated by thousands of devotees. The temple attracts many visitors
and is considered the primary deity of the complex.
Sri Meenakshi Temple Festival
The Meenakshi temple holds festivals every month according to the Tamil
calendar. The most popular festival is the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam,
celebrated in the Chithirai month (around April), which commemorates the
divine marriage of Meenakshi and is attended by over a million people.
It features a procession where the divine couple travels in a chariot,
and includes events such as the Ther Thiruvizhah (chariot festival) and
Theppa Thiruvizhah (float festival). The festival is a classic example
of a south Indian matrilineal marriage, in contrast to the patrilineal
Chidambaram marriage.
The Meenakshi temple holds monthly festivals such as Vasantham in
Vaikasi, Unjal in Aani, Mulai-Kottu in Aadi, Aavani Moolam in Aavani,
and Kolattam in Ayppasi and Karthikai. Additionally, the Navarathri
festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of Purattasi, with the temple
decorated with lights and colorful displays depicting mythological
scenes from Hindu texts using golu dolls. These displays are
particularly popular with families and children.
