Sri Meenakshi Temple is one of the most well known places of interest in Madurai. As many as 10,000 tourists from different parts of the country of India come to visit this temple everyday. On Friday, this number shoots up to around 25,000.
The Sri Meenakshi Temple at Madurai is actually a conglomeration of many small corridors and temples. This temple is considered a very sacred site by the Hindu devotees. The temple is unique as it has dual shrines meant to pay homage to a god and a goddess closely associated with the Hindu religion. The temple has been dedicated to Lord Sundareshvara, i.e., Shiva and Meenakshi. Lord Sundareshvara is actually the Hindu God for cosmic dance.
One of the major attractions of the Sri Meenakshi Temple is the gopurams. The height of these gopurams ranges between 45 and 50 meters. These gopurams have intricate designs all over them. The entire temple complex stretches for about 6 hectares.
The total number of gopurams in the temple is 12. The most prominent of all the 12 gopurams is the southern one. The structure of this gopuram is as high as a nine-storeyed building. The entire structure is decorated with many carved images of gods and goddesses associated with the Hindu religion.
Last Updated on 9/15/2011
