About Madurai

Whether you come by air, train or road, the first glimpse of the city that greets you are the magnificent gopurams of the Meenakshi Temple.The temple, spread across six hectares, is at the hub of all the activities in the city. The festivities, processions and grandeur of the temples attract tourist in the thousands every year.

Legends, myths and the reality of thousands of pilgrims swarming to the city everyday along with its burgeoning industrial set-up have interwoven to give Madurai its unique character and ambience. Planned in the shape of a lotus, Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu with a history that goes back to nearly 2,500 years.

The cultural prominence of Madurai in ancient times has earned it the epithet of the 'Athens of South India'. It has been the center for learning and the heart for South Indian culture and tradition for the last 2,500 years. It had also been the political capital of the Pandyan and the Nayakan dynasties. The illustrious past of the city can still be witnessed in the architectural splendor of the temples and the palaces. History:
According to legend, Madurai got its name from the madhuram (nectar) that fell from Shiva's locks on this place.

Madurai is one of the few cities to have enjoyed a continuous history that dates back to prehistoric times. Artifacts from the Megalithic Age and traces from the Neolithic Age have been unearthed from this region, suggesting settlements from the prehistoric times.

Available evidences suggest that Madurai was ruled by the Pandyas in ancient times. They find mention in many ancient texts and the Puranas. In one of the chapters of the Puranas, sage Agastya eulogizes the greatness and glory of the city.

However, the earliest recorded history of Madurai is available from the fourth century BC and can be found in the Tamil and Greek documents. The ancient city had links with Greece and Rome and traded primarily in spices. It was also the site of the Tamil Literary Society popularly known as the Sangam.

Madurai was taken over by the Chola emperors in the 10th century AD. The Pandyas regained control in the 12th century AD, only to loose it again to the invaders under Malik Kafur, in the service of the Delhi Sultanate. Malik Kafur established his own dynasty until 1364, when it was overthrown by the Vijayanagar kings of Hampi.

In 1565, after the fall of the Vijayanagar kingdom, the Nayaks, who were the local governors of Madurai, took over. They ruled until 1781, and in this period, Madurai reached its cultural zenith. They laid out the old town on in the pattern of a lotus with narrow streets surrounding the Meenakshi Temple at the center. The streets around the temple were named after the major festivals.

The reign under the Tirumalai Nayak was the most prosperous period of Madurai. He built the gopurams (domes surmounting the gateway) of the Meenakshi temple, and under his rule, Madurai became the cultural center for the Tamil people.

The 60-year interval between the end of the Nayak dynasty and the secession of Madurai to the British is a chequered period. It passed through a series of rulers and influences until the British East India Company finally took it over in 1801. In 1840, the company razed the fort that had previously surrounded the city and filled it with moat. They constructed four broad streets-the Veli streets-on the top of this fill defining the limits of the old city.

Best Season, Climate and Clothing:
Winters are the best season to visit the city, the months from October to March being the ideal period. The daytime temperature is around 20°C during this period making the days pleasant for all excursions. The summers can get very hot with the mercury hovering around the 40.