Details of meenakshi temple

Porthamarai Kulam, the sacred pond inside the temple, is a very holy site for devotees. People go around the 165 ft (50 m) by 120 ft (37 m)[2] lake before entering the main shrine. The name means the Pond with the Golden Lotus, and the lotus that grows in it has a golden color. According to legend, Lord Shiva promised a stork that no fish or other marine life would grow here and thus no marine animals are found in the lake.[3] In the Tamil legends, the lake is supposed to be a judge for judging a worth of a new literature. Thus, authors place their works here and the poorly written works are supposed to sink and the scholastic ones are supposed to float.
Thousand Pillar Hall
A section of the Thousand Pillar Hall in the morning. Thousand Pillar hall of Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple was built with the oldest Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunleveli[5] as a model. The Aayiram Kaal Mandapam or Thousand Pillar Hall contains 985 (instead of 1000) carved pillars. It is considered culturally important and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Thousand Pillared Hall was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar in 1569[6]. He was the Prime Minister and General of Viswanatha Nayak of the first Nayaka of Madurai (1559-1600 A.D.). He was also the founder of Poligar System, the quasi-feudal organization of the country, which was divided into multiple palayams or small provinces and each palayam was ruled by a palayakkarar or a petty chief[7]. At the entrance of the Mandapam, we can still see his statue; the majestic pose of Ariyanatha Mudaliar seated on a beautiful horse-back which flanks one side of the entrance to the temple. The statue is still periodically crowned with garlands by modern worshippers[6]. Each pillar is carved and is a monument of the Dravidian sculpture. There is a Temple Art Museum in the hall where icons, photographs, drawings, and other exhibits of the 1200 years old history are displayed. Just outside this mandapam, towards the west, are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar, when struck, produces a different musical note. The kalyana mandapa, to the south of the pillared hall, is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chithirai Festival in mid-April.
Festivals
The most important festival associated with the temple is the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam (The divine marriage of Meenkashi) that is celebrated in April every year. During that one month period, in which most Tamil Nadu temples celebrate their annual festivals, there are a number of events including the Ther Thiruvizhah (Chariot festival) and Theppa Thiruvizhah (Float festival) are celebrated. Apart from this, major Hindu festivals like Navrathri, Shivrathri are celebrated in a grand manner. Like most Shakti temples in Tamil Nadu, the Fridays during the Tamil months of Aadi (July 15 - Aug 17) and Thai (Jan 15 to Feb 15) are popularly celebrated with thousands of devotees thronging to the temple.
Current Status
The towers of the temple were covered in scaffolding for repainting till March 2009. The work was completed early April 2009 by numerous Temple craftsmen who abstained from a number of vices to be eligible to undertake the work. Also most of the archaeological retrieval work on the paintings, walls, scriptures, statues inside the temple were completed on a war-footing. The Temple adorns a very fresh look now.


For further details : org/wiki/Meenakshi_Temple

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple (twin temples) is one of the biggest temples in India. The original temple built by Kulasekara Pandyan was in ruins. The plan for the current temple structure was laid by Viswanath Naik and was completed by Tirumalai Nayakar. The Aadi, Chittirai and the Maasi, and Veli streets surround the temple. Both temples are adorned with exquisite carvings & sculptures and gold plated vimanams.
There are 12 massive gopurams in the temple, the four tallest gopurams at the outer walls (The tallest is the southern gopuram, measuring 49 metres). There are four entrances. The main entrance is to the Meenakshi Amman shrine.
Ashta Shakthi Mandapam is reached from the eastern gateway. It was built by Thirumalai Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi Ammal and Tholimamai. The scenes from the Thiruvilayadals of the Lord and from Meenakshi Amman's life as a princess are depicted on the pillars of this mandapam. The golden lotus pond (Potraamarai Kulam) is located to the left of the Meenakshi shrine. The Tamil Sangam used to value the literary works by placing them in the waters of this tank. Only those works which rose back to the surface were accepted as great masterpieces. Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural was accepted at this pond.On the western side of this tank are the Oonjal Mandapam with the deities and the Kilikootu Mandapam (hall of parrots), with parrots chanting the name of Meenakshi. Every Friday the gold idols of the Lord & Meenakshi are placed on the Oonjal (swing ) & worshipped with hymns & offerings.Sundareswarar gives darshan in the form of a linga, supported by 64 bhootaganas, 32 lions and 8 elephants. He is also known by other names such as Chokkanathar, Karpurachokkar. The stump of the Kadamba tree under which Indra worshipped the Lord can be seen in the outer corridor.The Kampathadi Mandapam and Velli Ambalam are situated in the outer corridor. The scenes from the wedding cermeony of Sundareswarar & Meenakshi are depicted in the pillars of this hall. This place is one of the 5 (Pancha Sabhais) sabhas of Nataraja where Siva dances. (The other dance halls are Chidambaram, Tiruvaalankadu, Tirunelveli and Kutralam). There is a unique idol of Nataraja dancing with his right leg raised to the shoulder instead of the left. The Lord is considered to have danced thus, at the request of King Rajasekara Pandyan. Since the idol of Nataraja is covered with silver leaves, it is called Velli (silver) Ambalam.
Legends from the Tiruvilayaadal Puraanam are depicted on the walls of the temple. The idols of Saraswathi, Durgai, Siddhar, Lakshmi, Kasi Viswanathar, Lingodhbava murti, Nayanmars can be worshipped in the outer prakara. The holy Kadamba tree is also preserved & worshipped.
The thousand pillared hall is an architectural & engineering marvel, built in the 16th century. The pillars have the Yazhi figure sculpted on them. There are musical granite pillars just outside this mandapam, which when struck yield different musical notes. On the east is the Vasantha Mandapam or the Pudhu Mandapam. Scenes of the wedding & life-size figures of the Nayak rulers can be seen here.
There is a huge idol of Lord Ganesha as you move from the kilikoontu mandapam to Lord Sundareswarar's sannadhi. This Ganesha known as Mukkuruni Vinayakar was unearthed by Tirumalai nayakar while he was digging a temple tank 3 kms from the Meenakshi Amman temple.
Madurai is also known as the festival city. All the usual festivals are celebrated, yet the Chithirai festival that is held in April/May (for 3 days), is very important when the celestial marriage of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar is celebrated, drawing a huge crowd of people from all over the state.
Legends
Goddess Parvathi was reborn as Meenakshi (eyes like a fish). Malayadhwaja Pandyan & his wife Kanchanamala performed the Puthrakameshthiyaga, praying for a child. Meenakshi was born with three breasts from the sacrificial fire. The king was upset, but was pacified by a divine voice that the third breast would vanish, when Meenakshi met the man she was to marry. They named her Thadaathakai and she grew up to be a daring queen, gaining victory in all her conquests. During her conquests, she met Lord Siva in Kailasam, and instantly her third breast vanished. Lord Siva bade her to return to Madurai, with the promise that he would marry her in 8 days. Lord Siva appeared as Sundareswarar to wed Meenakshi who was given away in marraige by her brother Lord Vishnu. This scene is seen depicted in the temple. Meenakshi & Sundareswarar ruled Madurai before returning to Kailasam.
A lotus shaped city is said to have been built by the Pandyan king Kulasekhara around the siva linga worshipped by Indra in the forest of Kadamba trees. When Lord Siva came to bless them, nectar dripped from his matted locks & hence the city was named Madhurapuri (madhu - honey), & is now known as Madurai.
SOURCE:WWW.SAIGAN.COM

MARUDAMALAI Temples

Kumbakonam Temples

Kumbakonam is on eof the oldest towns of south India. Its is the headquarters of hte taluq of the same name in hte District of Tanjore in Madras State. The distance from Madras to this town in 194 miles by the southern railway.