India 2012 - Madurai
Madurai, today the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, has a history of more than 2500 years. During this time the city was ruled by different dynasties as the Pandyas, Cholas (9th-13th century CE), Madurai/Delhi Sultanate (14th century), the Empire of Vijayanagar (15th-16th centuy), Madurai Nayaks (16th-17th century).The most important monuments are the Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Tirumalai Nayak Palace.
It was in Madurai in 1921 that Mahatma Gandhi decided for the loin cloth as his code of dress and a symbol for his attachment to the simple people. The Mahatma Gandhi Museum houses a very well made exhibition on the struggle for independence of the Indian Nation. Not undisputed, the blood stained loin cloth Gandhi was wearing when he was asassinated in 1948 is on display here.
Around 1560 CE the rulers of Madurai changed from the Vijanayar Empire to the Nayak dynasty who again established Madurai as their capital and ruled over an area roughly todays Tamil Nadu. During the Delhi Sultanate era the temple complex and large parts of town where destroyed. It was under the reign of the Nayaks the Sri Meenakshi Temple was rebuild. The most important ruler of that dynasty was Thirumalai Nayak.
Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple
The Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple is the most prominent landmark in Madurai if not - in terms of religion - all of Tamil Nadu.
Its history dates back more than 2000 years, though the buildings of today are from the 17th century after the temple was looted and destroyed in 14th century by invading Mughal forces.
Meenakshi (Translation of the Sanskrit word is "fish eyed") is an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Parvati who is consort of Shiva, in Madurai worshiped as Sundareswarar, the beautiful.
The temple complex covers an area of more than 60.000sqm (6ha) and is enclosed by 14 gopurams, some of them more than 50m in height and all colourfully covered with uncounted numbers of figures and statues from the Hindu pantheon. There are two gold clad vimanas (tower over the inner sanctum where the deity resides). But it is not Shiva but his wife Meenakshi the temple is dedicated to, what is unique.
Most parts of the temple are off limit to non Hindus. But the areas accessible are worth a visit and actually make the temple a tourist hot spot in Tamil Nadu.
