Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple, Madurai

Meenakshi Amman Temple, also known as Meenakshi Temple or Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, is a temple complex in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India. It is believed to have been constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries, while its initial construction dates to the fourth century CE. Hindu mythology states that the god Shiva traveled to Madurai in the person of Sundareswarar to wed Meenakshi, the Pandya king's daughter, who was a manifestation of the goddess Parvati. They have a temple at Meenakshi Amman devoted to their union.

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High walls surrounding the enormous temple are accessed through towering gopuras, or gateways. A sacred tank, smaller shrines, colonnades, columned mandapas (halls), lesser shrines, and, at the center, the two main shrines to Sundareswarar and Meenakshi can be found inside. Some of India's most ornately decorated structures are the gopuras. They are entirely covered with brightly painted representations of deities, heavenly creatures, monster masks, guardians, and animal mounts. The southern gopura, the tallest of the 14 structures, stands more than 170 feet (52 m) tall.

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History of Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai is a historically significant temple that also bestows blessings from the Lord and Goddess upon its followers. Kulasekarer Pandya constructed the Meenakshi Temple during the Pandya era. Historical evidence suggests that this temple dates to the first century A.D. This temple is mentioned in the lyrics of the revered Hindu saint Thirugnanasambandar, who lived in the seventh century. Additionally, it is claimed that this temple was partially demolished in the 12th or 13th centuries, following the Islamic conquest. Later on, though, it was rebuilt into the form it is in now. Later, during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak (1623–55 AD), it was enlarged. The temple's current building was created at this time.

This temple is mentioned in a lot of legends. According to legend, Pandyan King Malayadwaja and his consort Queen Kanchanamalai's fervent devotion and prayers caused the principal deity of this temple, Meenakshi Devi, to emerge from the pious fire. The ruling couple wanted to get blessing in the form of a child because they were childless, so they performed a yagam. Goddess Parvati then appeared as a young girl of three years old and took the shape of Goddess Meenakshi. The girl was then named the king's heir apparent. 

Architecture of Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple, Madurai

Every dynasty that has come and gone has contributed something architectural to this shrine. The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai is spread across a huge area and has five separate entrances. There are fourteen imposing towers on this temple. There are five of these enormous Rajagopuram towers that have nine levels, while one of them has only seven. Five different five-tier gopurams are present. There are two three-tier gopurams and two golden gopurams in addition to these. The excellent sculpting and detailed embellishments on each of the gopurams add to the grandeur of the Meenakshi temple.