Jun 07, 2006 04:35 PM
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I’m always enthusiastic and excited about traveling to this charming city 'Madurai' !! Madurai always leaves me wondering whether it belongs to the ancient & traditional category or contemporary, trendy category !
What I like about ‘MADURAI’
The wonderful slang of the p’ple of Madurai and their unsurpassed hospitality have always attracted me a lot. Also, Madurai always brings into my mind the graceful VAIGAI river (though it is all dried up today). The days when we used to bath in this river are ever fond memories….
Continuing from the travelers’ point of view…..
THE DON’T MISSes (?!)
MEENAKSHI TEMPLE
Almost all South-Indians nominated this great Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple to be considered as one of the 7 wonders of the world ! What’s so special about this ancient temple?
This is one of the largest temples in India and undeniably the most ancient one. With Lord Shiva as the major God of worship, called here as “Sundareswarar” and the Goddess here being “Meenakshi” (after whom, the temple is named) – Meenakshi in Tamil means, the fish-eyed Goddess (with eyes in the shape of a fish) ! The most prehistoric paintings & sculptures in this temple are the best in the country & anyone visiting the temple any number of times no doubt would be deeply fascinated by them. It might even take a full day if you desire to see the temple completely !
AYIRAMKAAL MANDAPAM
Needless to say that this is really an astonishing supplement to the Meenakshi Temple – which is nothing but a Hall consisting of THOUSAND PILLARS ! These Pillars also have a miraculous specialty – seen from any angle, all these Pillars appear to be on a straight line. Also, every Pillar bears lively sculptural paintings. With my experience, I would swear that this is really a must-see place in Madurai !!
OTHER PLACES
(1)
Gandhi Museum : This is an ancient museum in the Rani Mangammal Palace which is aimed at creating awareness about the historic Gandhian Movement with their momentous collections of pictures, handicrafts & Khadi sections. This is yet another interesting tourist spot !
(2)
Theppakulam : Near the Meenakshi Temple, you can find a very vast beautiful square tank spread over many acres. As is done in every Temple, here the deities Sundareswarar & Meenakshi are made to float in this water, which is celebrated as a very grand festival every year. There is also a beautiful & ancient Mariamman temple near the tank.
(3)
Azhagar Temple : Situated about 20 Kms from Madurai, this temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is on a hill and the sight of wonderful scenic magnificence on the way to this temple makes our visit a very pleasant one. From here, you can also pay a visit to Pazha Mudhir Solai where you have a temple for Lord Subramaniya on top of the hill.
(4)
Thirupparankundram Temple : This is one of the six houses (Aru Padai Veedu) of Lord Subramaniya and has a rich and varied traditional significance.
I hope I have brought out almost all the important places in Madurai. To empathize the South-Indian culture, all tourists visiting Trichy or Kodaikannal or Kanyakumari should definitely visit Madurai. Hope you too experience a fantastic tour to Madurai just like I did !
