MEENAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLEHindu Temple : Ancient, walled, Hindu place of worship with sacred water tank and colourful, sculpted gate towers.

Address : Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001, India

Phone : +91 452 234 4360Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Tamil Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2,500-year-old city of Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature. Though most of the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE.[ It is said that the temple was originally built in the 6th century BC by survivors of the Kumari Kandam.

Must see in Meenakshi Amman Temple The Thousand Pillar Temple or

Rudreshwara Swamy Temple[1] is a historic Hindu temple located in the town of Hanamakonda, Telangana State, India.[2] It is dedicated to

Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. Thousand Pillar Temple, along with "Warangal

Fort" and "Ramappa Temple" are added to the tentative list of World

Heritage sites recognised by UNESCO.[3] The area of this tank is 1 acre. It's

length is 240' and breadth 165'. The salient feature of this tank is that it is older than the temple. It is said that the "Moola Lingam" was found in this tank by Dhananjaya. Statues of Dhananjeya and Kulasekara Pandiya are carved on the pillar in the northern side of the tank. Since, the Petals of the Lotus Flowers in the tank appeared gold, this tank was named as "Potramarai Kulam" (which means Golden Lotus Tank).

GANDHI MUSEUMGandhi Memorial Museum, established in 1959, is a memorial museum for Gandhi located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. Known as Gandhi Museum, it is now one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas in the country.

Address : Tallakulam, Madurai,Tamil Nadu 625020, IndiaOpening Time : 10AM–1PM, 2–5:45PM

Phone : +91 452 253 1060

Visual Biography of Gandhiji contains 124 rare photographs depicting various phases of Gandhi from his childhood days until being taken to the crematorium. The pictures displayed here are carefully selected making viewers remember the importance of a national leader, who lived his life as an example to all.

ALAGARKOIL TEMPLE

Alagar koyil is a village in Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The history and living of the village is centered

around Kallazhagar Temple. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries

AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kallazhagar and his consort Lakshmi as

Thirumamagal.

THIRUMALAI NAYAKAR MAHALThirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace erected in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, a king of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai from 1623–59, in the city of Madurai, India. This Palace is a classic fusion of Dravidian and Rajput styles. The building, which can be seen today, was the main Palace, in which the king lived. In its heyday, Tirumalai Nayak Palace at Madurai was considered to be one of the wonders of the South. This palace is situated 2 km south east of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. The Palace is located in the eastern side of the city, around 1.2 km South East of the Meenakshi Amman Temple in the city of Madurai. Madurai being a popular tourist center is well connected by railways and has daily flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Mumbai Banglore and Chennai.

General information about MAHALArchitectural style Dravidian

Town or city Madurai

Country India

Coordinates 9.914881°N 78.124326°ECoordinates: 9.914881°N 78.124326°E

Construction started circa 1620's

Client King Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai

Owner Archaeological Survey of India, Government of Tamil Nadu

Technical details

Structural system Indo Saracenic Dravidian Architecture.

Design and construction

Architect Italian Architect hired

SAMANAR HILLS – JAIN BEDSA geographic coordinate system is a

coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols.[n 1] The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position.

Common baselinesCommon height baselines include

The surface of the datum ellipsoid, resulting in an ellipsoidal heightThe mean sea level as described by the gravity geoid, yielding the

orthometric heightA vertical datum yielding a dynamic height relative to a known

reference height.Along with the latitude ϕ {\displaystyle \phi } and longitude λ {\

displaystyle \lambda } , the height h {\displaystyle h} provides the three-dimensional geodetic coordinates or geographic coordinates for

a location.

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is the pond located near to Vandiyur Mariamman Temple and situated at a distance of about 2 km from the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Literally, Teppakulam means temple pond mainly used for devotional festivals.

The tank is connected to Vaigai River through an ingenious system of underground Channels. It has total of 12 long stairs (steps) made of granite on all four sides. The temple as well as the stairs was built by the King Thirumalai Nayak. In the centre of the tank there is a Madapam called Maiya Mandapam (Central Mandapam) with Vinayakar temple and garden.

Festivals in Madurai.Pongal ( Harvest festival)Jallikattu(Taming the Bull)

Chithirai Festival.Avanimoolam Festival.

Navarathri ( Nine nights) festival.Vinayagar Chathurthi

DiwaliChristmas

Madurai CultureMadurai CultureMadurai is an example of cultural diversity. Owing to its glorious past, the richness of its culture is visible in everything. This includes its architectural majesty, customs and traditions, religious sanctity, magnificent art work, handicrafts, ballads, folk dances, dramas, songs, festivals and ceremonies. The city has very-well blended its ancient cultural heritage, with the fast paced technological advancements. Madurai is expanding rapidly and is one the major commercial centers of South India. The growing number of educational institutions and industries in Madurai are live examples of its progress.

ReligionThe major religion of the people of Madurai is Hinduism. There is also an evident number of Jains, Muslims and Christians in the city. Madurai is an ideal example of unity in diversity. With people following different religions there is no clash amongst communities. 

LanguageThe main language spoken by the people of Madurai is Tamil. It is spoken in its pure form. The Sourashtra language is spoken by the people of Sourashtra community, which is significantly present in the city. People also speak a host of other regional languages like Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Urdu. English, being an important international language, is widely spoken by the educated people of Madurai. 

How to reach Madurai Madurai’s recorded history goes back to the 3rd century BC. It is mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to India as well as Kautilya. The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is the geographical center and the fulcrum around which the daily life of the locals revolve. The original temple was ransacked by the Muslim invader Malik Kafur in 1310 and the present structure is believed to have been built between 1623 and 1655 CE.With motorcycle major TVS group, IT and IT-enabled services majors like Satyam, textile industries and industrial units connected with automobiles located here, Madurai is far more than just a temple town. The city also exports its famed jasmine flowers known as Madurai Malligai.

BEST PLACES TO STAY & EAT IN MADURAIMadurai has accommodation for all budgets. Most of the budget hotels are located close to the railway station, some are located close to the Meenakshi temple. Being a small city, travel should not be a concern. Most of the mid-range and luxury hotels are located within a 10 km radius of the airport. Summers tend to be hot so it is advisable to book air conditioned rooms.

BEST FOODS TO EAT IN MADURAILiving up to its sobriquet, the city that never sleeps, hotels, shops and markets in Madurai are open 24×7. The city offers some unique flavored drinks like Jigarthanda and Paruthi Pal. Unlike in several pilgrimage towns, restaurants in Madurai also serve non-vegetarian food. But sample non-vegetarian dishes at your own risk because they tend to be very spicy.

Vegetarians need not despair. Eateries serving authentic Iyengar style meals and breakfast can also be found easily in the city. Some restaurants also offer Rajasthani thalis. Chinese, Continental and Chettinad cuisine can be savored in addition to the ubiquitous south Indian specialties.

ST.MARY’S CATHEDRALSt. Mary’s Cathedral Church is located on the East Veli Street in Madurai. Situated within 2 km towards south-east direction of Madurai Railway Station, this church is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India. It attracts lots of tourists owing to its European and Continental style architecture.

The church encompasses bell towers which are Roman in style and are 42 m high. Furthermore, it was found in the year 1840 and dedicated to Viagulamatha, who was known as Viagulamatha Koil. The church was rebuilt again in 1916 and in 1938 the bishop’s throne was installed. The church was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1969.

Address: East Veli St, Mahalipatti, Balarengapuram, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001, India

Phone: +91 452 233 2832

KUTLADAMPATTI FALLSKutladampatti Falls is a waterfall located in the village of Kutladampatti near Vadipatti in Madurai district about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.[1] The waterfallfall is in a reserve forest managed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.[2] The water falls from a height of about 27 metres (89 ft).[2]Tourists from Madurai can take a direct bus from the Periyar bus stand. Tourists may also come via Vadipatti, travelling by bus number 71. The falls are 8 km (5.0 mi) from Vadipatti. State Mini bus services are available from the Vadipatti bus stand. The number of tourist visits peaks from September to February. Public transportation was instituted following some serious media coverage in the early 2000s. Construction of pavement and steps leading to the falls was undertaken by the local administration. Many Maduraites spend their weekends at the falls

ATHISAYAM WATER THEME PARK

Address: Paravai, Madurai - Dindigul Main

Road, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625402, India

Phone: +91 452 246 3850

Opening Time : 10:30AM–6:30PM

Excitement on land and adventure in water. Athisayam, the ultimate in family fun, is a several acre Water Amusement Park located in Madurai, TamilNadu, India. Athisayam has grown over the last five years to become the largest in the area (Athisayam was born on 2000). The Waterpark has sports rides for everyone from the thrill seeker in you to the more relaxed family attractions. Athisayam is just 20 minutes drive from Madurai (to keep peoples in peace and away from city pollution and noise) . The fun begins at 10:00 AM when the gates open and you enter the "Queen of Indian Theme Parks". You will enjoy the wide variety of water games and rides. Visit our exciting Madurai Courtallam to experience the fun. Bring your camera fully loaded as there is enough food for your cameras in our park.

NO – 7 , KAMARAJAR NAGAR 3RD STREETCHINNACHOKKIKULAM

MADURAI - 625002