Description of Sree Meenakshi Temple Madurai

Sree Meenakshi temple is one of the greatest temple of South India. It is situated in the heart of the city of Madurai. Its towers can be seen even from a distance. An aerial view of this temple will be simply grand.

Goddess Meenaskshi is the main deity of the temple. Hence it has become customary to go into the temple through the entrance on the eastern side, facing Sree Meenakshi.

This entrance is twenty-five feet high and eighteen feet broad. There is no big tower at this entrance as the other entrances. However, the beautiful sculptures of Lord Vinayaga and Lord subramanya find a place at the sides of this entrance. At the centre, we find the wedding scene of Sree Meenakshi worked out in fine mortar.

This entrance leads up to the Ashta Sakthi Mandapam the Abode of Eight powers. We find on the left goddesses Gowmari, Rowmari, Vainavi and Mahalakshmi. On the right are the idols of Yaganaroopani, Shyamalai, Maheswari and Manonmni. Besides these eight Powers there are two Dhwara Balagies in front. There are also the statues of Lord Ganapathy and Lord Muruga.The Ashta Sakthi Mandapam also houses many other beautiful drawings and coloured sculptures. These depict a few stories relating to the Thiruvilayadals (Deeds of Lord Siva).

For instance, the events leading to the birth of Sree Meenakshi and her later rule find a place among these drawings.On the eastern side, we can see the statues of Sree Meenakshi and the four saiva Saints. Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundaramoorthi Nayanar and Manikkavasagar.The Ashtra Sakthi Mandapam was built by Rudrapathi Ammai and Tholiammai, the consorts of Thirumalai Naicker, the famours ruler of Madurai. The purpose of building the Mandapam was to distribute food of the devotees who came from other places.

1000 Pillar mandapam

The big mandapam (pavilion) at the junction of the northern and eastern Adi Streets has one thousand stone pillars. It was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar.

Krishna Veerappa Naicker built the nine-storyed northern tower of the temple and Kampathadi Mandapam (pavilion under)

Thiru Nokku Alagiyar constructed the outer walls of the temple. These walls form a rectangle with a length of 847 feet and a breath of 792 feet.

The Veeravasantha Rayar Mandapam before the swami temple was built by Muthuveerappa Naicker in 1611 A.D.

Pudhumandapam

The Pudhumandapam (New Pavilion), east of the Swami tower, was built by Thirumalai Naicker. It is used for the Spring Festival. He also constructed the Rayagopuram east of the Pudhumandapam.

The Kilikoottu (cage of parrots) Mandapam was built by Abisheka Pandaram Thirumalai Naicker’s wives. Tholi Amman and Rudrapathi Ammai built the Astha Sakthi (Eight Powers) Mandapam. The Nagara Mandapam (Drum Pavilion) in front of the Meenakshiamman tower was built by Achaya Rayer.

The Meenakshi Naicker Mandapam before the Amman Tower was constructed in 1708 A.D. by Shanmugam Meenakshi Naicker. Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Naicker built the Thirukkalyana (Wedding) Mandapam in 1711 A.D.

Thus we see that major part of the Temple was constructed between the twelfth and the eighteenth centuries.

Hunterstatues

A small mandapam joins the Ashta Sakthi Mandapam and the Meenaksi Naickar Mandapam. There is a verandha on each side of this mandapam. On the souther verandha there is a statue of Goddess Parvathi eight feet in height. She is in a dancing pose with a Soolayudham (a kind of weapon) in one of her hands. A five-hooded serpent shelters her head from the sun’s heat and rains. Some consider this statue to be that of a huntress.

On the northern verandha there is a statue of a hunter. This statue is also eight feet high. The hunter has a majestic look.

A reason is attributed for keeping these two statues near entrance of the temple. The legends say that lord Sundara and Sree Meenakshi appeared in the form of a hunter and huntress and blessed a villain who repented of his crimes and sought relieve at the feet of the Lord. It is believed that these statues would relieve the sufferings of those who repented of their sins and come to the temple with faith and devotion.

Meenakshi naicker Mandapam

Form the Ashta Sakthi Mandapam, we come to the Meenakshi naicker Mandapam called after its constructor. This Mandapam is 160 feet long and 110 feet broad. Here we can see six rows of stone pillars numbering 110 each 22 feet high.

In each of these pillars, there is the figure of a Yali (a fabulous animal like a lion with an elephant’s proboscis possible the mammoth) at the top and beautiful architecture work at the bottom. We find some unfinished statues also in this mandapam.

There is a ‘Thiruvatchi’ (frame of lamps) at the western and of this mandapam, there are 1008 lamps in this Thiruvatchi its height is about 25 feet when lighted, it presents a magnificent sight. Having been installed by the Marudhu Pandyas its maintenance charges are met even today by the Sivangangai state’s temples hereditary trustee.

On the roof in front of this thiruvatchi are engraved the twelve rasies (planetory positions) in a square form. The test of the ceiling is painted with circular artistic decoration.

On each side of the Thiruvatchi there is a room in which temple’s paraphemalia are kept.

Beyond the Thiruvatchi, towards the Amman Sannadhi we enter the base of a seven-storyed tower. This base is 78 feet long and 38 feet broad. The height of the tower is 177 feet. There are 730 sculptures on this tower each one of them is an excellent piece of art, because of this tower is sometimes referred to as the ‘Chitra Gopuram, (Artistic Tower).

A view of this tower can be had from the Adi Veedhi (first path way surround the shrines of Sree Meenakshi and lord Sundareswarar) at the place where elephants are tied or from the western side of the Golden Lilly Tank. This tower was built in 1569 by Kalathinatha Mudaliar son of Dalavoi Ariyanatha Mudaliar. Like the Thiruvatchi, it is maintained by the Sivaganga Devastahanam.