meenakshi amman temple architecture

Her raised hand holds a lotus, on which sits a green parrot. These are monumental towers that are richly decorated by sculptures and carvings, which are a notable … The temple structure with its concentric squares and high walled enclosures is a lesson for students of architecture. [50] The temple and the city was once again east facing to greet the rising Surya (sun god). [38] It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. This image is set in a square garbha griya (central sanctum). The celestial couple is seated inside an architectural frame with a flowering tree in the background. The traditional texts call him a poet-saint king, additionally credit him with a poem called Ambikai Malai, as well as shrines (koil) each for Natarajar and Surya near the main temple, Ayyanar in the east, Vinayagar in the south, Kariamalperumal in the west and Kali in the north. Some of these mandapas include:[16][78], The mandapas also feature community gathering halls. 2500 for purification rituals. Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Tamil Hindu temple situated in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu , India, on the southern bank of the Vaigai River. [47] According to one poetic legend called Madhura Vijayam attributed to Ganga Devi, the wife of Kumara Kampana, she gave him a sword, urged him to liberate Madurai, right the vast wrongs, and reopen the Meenakshi temple out of its ruins. So tall pillared halls, and a … [52], During the colonial era, the population around the Meenakshi temple attracted a hub of Christian missionary activity headed by competing missions from Portugal and other parts of Europe. The Hindus generally circumambulate the shrines clockwise first before entering the shrine for a darshana. The town of Madurai is ancient and one mentioned in Sangam era texts. Here, devotees can see Vishnu is all three poses – Standing, Sitting and Reclining. Some of the shrines and the gopuram are not exactly aligned east-west and north-south axis, however. [8], The temple is famed location where Tamil tradition believes Sambandar helped establish Tamil Shiva bhakti. Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I built a gopura in 1231, then called Avanivendaraman, later rebuilt, expanded and named as Sundara Pandya Thirukkopuram. The surviving plan of the temple complex places it within the old city, one defined by a set of concentric squares around the temple. Pudumandapam, also called Vasantha mandapam (bottom of plan) was completed by Thirumalai Nayak in the 17th century. [64], The temple complex has had a living history, has been in use for almost all of its history except for about 60 years when it was closed and in ruins after its destruction in the 14th century. Both the gopuram have similar style and architecture, likely built by a collaborating group of same artists. [11][26] Madurai is one of the many temple towns in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva, named here as Sundareswarar. All of these place the temple in ancient times and include a warrior goddess, but the details vary significantly and are inconsistent with each other. The temple is enclosed with huge walls, which were built in response to the invasions. Not to mention, it happens to be the largest temple complex in the state of Tamilnadu. Meenakshi Amman Temple. [37] Some early Tamil texts call Madurai as Koodal, and these portray it as a capital and a temple town where every street radiated from the temple. [42] After the conquest and destruction, the Delhi Sultan appointed a Muslim governor in Madurai, who seceded within the few years from the Delhi Sultanate and began the Madurai Sultanate. Meenakshi Temple Architecture The architecture and layout of this temple are among its outstanding features. The Mottai gopuram for nearly three centuries did not have the roof structure, is simpler and has fewer stucco images than the other major entrances, giving it a relatively bald appearance and the local name. [25] The temple complex is well connected with road network (four lane National Highway 38), near a major railway junction and an airport (IATA: IXM) with daily services. It was completed in the second half of the 16th century. The Privy Council approved the decision of the Subordinate Judge of Madurai, citing the High Court's decision of 1908. The most important part of Madurai tour, this temple was built during the Pandya reign and is now under the administration of HR and CE department of Tamil Nadu. It marks the divine marriage of Meenakshi, and is the most attended festival. Of course, some other legendaries also narrated the importance and glory of the temple. [114], Shyama Shastri, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, had composed a set of nine Telugu songs in praise of Meenakshi of Madurai, which are referred to as Navaratnamalika(Garland of nine gems). The oldest gopuram is the eastern one (I on plan), built by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan during 1216-1238[66] Each gopuram is a multi-storeyed structure, covered with sculpture painted in bright hues. "Avani Moola Utsavam" is a 10-day festival mainly devoted to Sundareswarar describes his various Thiruvilayadal meaning Shiva's sacred games. The outer walls have four towering gateways, allowing devotees and pilgrims to enter the complex from all four directions. [98] The Tamil word velli means silver and ambalam means stage or altar. Vembaturara Ananda Nambi built the early version of the three-tiered gopuram in 1227. The Meenakshi temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, the Consort of Lord Siva. The initiative for some changes to the structure was under the supervision of Ariyanatha Mudaliar, the prime minister of the Nayaka Dynasty. After the city's destruction in the 14th century, the Tamil tradition states that the king Vishwantha Nayaka rebuilt the temple and the Madurai city around it in accordance with the principles laid down in the Shilpa Shastras (Sanskrit: śilpa śāstra. Meenakshi Amman Temple Meenakshi Madurai Temple, is a place worth seeing by every art lover. After the city's destruction in the 14th century, the Tamil tradition states that the king Vishwantha Nayaka rebuilt the temple and the Madurai city around it in accordance with the principles laid down in the Shilpa Shastras(… The Urchava Nayanar Mandapa and the small six-pillared mandapa in front of the Mahamandapa was rebuilt by Sundaratolydaiya Mavali Vanathirayar in the 15th century. [9] Chitra gopuram (W), also known as Muttalakkum Vayil, was built by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan II (1238-1251). [66], Kumara Kampana, states the Thirupanimalai text, donated jewels and made grants to cover the expenses for daily operations of the two shrines in the 14th century. [58], In November 1895, the Nadars of kamuthi petitioned to the Meenakshi Sundaraswara temple, which was under Ramnad M. Baskara Sethupathi's trusteeship of the Raj, for permission to hold a ritual feast. Meenakshi Temple (also referred to as Meenakshi Amman Temple or Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple also spelled as Meenaatchi Temple)[3] is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River[4] in the temple city[5] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. [76] The pool walls were painted with frescoes. [53] The British rulers first gave endowments to the temple and the British troops participated in temple festivities to gain socio-political acceptance. [19] This has made this temple and Madurai as the "southern Mathura", one included in Vaishnava texts. At every entrance along the axis of the shrine are shrines to Vinayakarand Subramanyar. [106] The wedding of the divine couple is regarded as a classic instance of south Indian marriage with matrilineal emphasis, an arrangement referred as "Madurai marriage". Kingdom of Mysore. The restored complex now houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45–50m in height, with the southern gopura tallest at 51.9 metres (170 ft). 'Mīṉāṭci') is a term meaning "fish-eyed",[28] derived from the words mina ("fish") and akshi ("eyes"). Vanniyadi Natarajar Mandapam and Annakkuli Mandapam were built by a woman named Chellappen Mannikkam in the late 16th century. It consists of monuments inside a number of concentric enclosures, each layer fortified with high masonry walls. The region is believed to have been covered with Kadamba forest and hence called Kadambavanam. His major contributions are the Vasantha Mandapam for celebrating Vasanthotsavam (spring festival) and Kilikoondu Mandapam (corridor of parrots). The courtyard walls were added over time in response to invasion and the plunder of the temple complex. Chettiappa Nayakkar rebuilt the Dvarapala mandapam in front of the Sannadhi gopuram, as well as the north colonnade of the Golden Lotus Tank in the late 16th century. It is called the "Meenakshi Thirukalyanam". by Edward Fosmire. The city plan is based on concentric squares with streets radiating out from the temple. Like other gopurams, it too was destroyed in the 14th century and later rebuilt. It is also known for its beautiful architecture, sculpture, and painting work. This 2500 years old temple has a glorious past which dates back to 1560. The temple has 14 gopurams, the tallest of which is southern tower, rises to over 170 ft (52 m) and was rebuilt in the late 16th century. In 1959, Tamil Hindus began collecting donations and initiated restoration work in consultation with engineers, Hindu monasteries, historians and other scholars. Its shrines are dedicated to Hindu deities and Shaivism scholars, with the vimanas above the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of Meenakshi and Sundaresvara gilded with gold. [68][103], In the Tamil month of Purattasi, the temple celebrates the Navarathri festival, also known as Dasara or Dussehra elsewhere. It is also one of the main attractions of South India, where thousands of worshipers invade it daily. The city roads radiate from the temple complex and major ring roads form a concentric pattern for the city, a structure that follows the Silpa Sastra guidelines for a city design. The shrine for Meenakshi is smaller, though theologically more important. The outer walls have four towering gateways, allowing devotees and pilgrims to enter the complex from all four directions. Vishnu gives her away to Shiva at the wedding. The goods and services for temple-related pilgrims and visitors is a significant part of the Madurai economy. He built the main Portions of the three-storeyed gopura at the entrance of Sundareswarar Shrine and the central portion of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine are some of the earliest surviving parts of the temple. [5] According to a legend found in the Tamil text Tiruvilaiyatarpuranam, king Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai performed a Yajna seeking a son for succession. [16], The temple has a six time pooja calendar everyday, each comprising four rituals namely abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offerings[note 3]) and deepa aradanai (lamp ceremony) for both Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. But the reign of the Nayaks marks the golden period of Madurai when art, architecture and learning flourished expansively. Kambathadi mandapam (H) was built by Krishna Virappa Nayakkar (1572- 1595). "The temple city of Madurai is situated at a distance of 307 miles south of Madras on the main railway line. It is believed that the original temple structure was built between 1190 – 1216 CE by Kulasekara Pandya whom historical accounts describe as a poet, saint, and king. The Kanaka Sabha and Ratna Sabha are in the first prahara, Rajata Sabha in Velliambalam, Deva Sabha in the 100-pillared mandapam and Chitra Sabha in the 1000-pillared mandapam.[91]. [16][40], After the destruction of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire in the late 16th century by a coalition of Islamic Deccan sultanates north of Karnataka, the Madurai region declared its sovereignty. This gopura was reopened after the renovations completed in 1963. Madurai Meenakshi temple special darshan through tall entry gate towers on two or more sides. [13][14][15] The contemporary temple is the result of rebuilding efforts started by the Vijayanagara Empire rulers who rebuilt the core and reopened the temple. The missionaries wrote back that the Tamils were "baptizing, but not converting", for they baptize if "someone wants a wife who is Christian" or medical aid when they have a disease, material aid if they are poor. The small six-pillared swing mandapam (Unjal, oonjal) was built by Cheventhi Murthi Chetti during this period, and this remains in use currently for a Friday ritual. [75], The sacred temple tank is called Porthamarai Kulam ("Pond with the golden lotus"). Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai. Other festivals include the Vasantham festival is celebrated in Vaikasi month. Not to mention, it happens to be the largest temple complex in the state of Tamilnadu. "forest of Kadamba") or Velliambalam (lit. The marriage of the goddess and god is a symbolic paradigm for human marriage. As per … It is five-storeyed, was walled up and closed through 1963 for unclear reasons. For his respect towards Lingam, he built Meenakshi Amman Temple. Meenakshi, the bride, is the royal monarch. 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Inside the temple through the apertures of two successive towers the pilgrims to enter complex!

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