Madurai is a riot of color and festivity. This historic city is built on the banks of the Vagai River, whose sacred presence in celebrated in the annual Vagai River Festival. On the tenth day of the Vagai River Festival the climax is reached when the goddess Meenakshi's wedding is celebrated.

Madurai Tourist Attractions

Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple
The Meenakshi Sundareshvara Temple is one of southern India's most celebrated. It is an enormous complex with two principal shrines, one for Meenakshi and the other for Shiva, a tank, several other subsidiary shrines, corridors, and long colonnades of carved pillars. The entire complex is enclosed within high walls with huge gateways or gopurams in the middle on each side.

Sundareshvara Temple
North of the Golden Lotus Tank is the entrance gopuram (not as tall as the outer gates) that leads to the Sundareshvara Temple. hundreds of columned halls and verandas are clustered around this area, like the Kambittari mandap of the late nineteenth century.

Kalyana Mandap
South of the tank is the Kalyana Mandap where the divine wedding takes place each year. Under the roof, and surrounded by floral decorations, the images of Meenakshi and Sundareshvara are ceremoniously married by the temple priests. It is a glorious affair and one is considered doubly blessed to be a witness and a guest at the celestial marriage ceremony.

Airakkal Mandap
Right in the north-west corner of the enclosure is the Airakkal Mandap, a magnificent thousand-pillared hall. It has been converted into the temple museum and has an interesting collection of stone and bronze sculptures.

Meenakshi Shrine
To the western end of the tank is the enclosure wall of the Meenakshi Shrine. Within it are many subsidiary shrines and a 'bedroom' where the image of Meenakshi's husband is brought each night to rest.

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