India has long attracted travelers from all over the world with its originality and mystery. This country has preserved a unique culture with traditional beliefs; despite the influence of other religions, 80% of the population of this hospitable corner of the planet professes Hinduism. Many architectural creations, which have become genuine works of art, are dedicated to the gods, and the most beautiful and amazing masterpiece is the temple in the oldest city of Madurai. The former capital of the ancient state of Pandya was mentioned in the works of great geographers and scientists, different religions successfully coexisted in the center of Tamil culture until Hinduism took first place.
Beautiful legend
One of the consorts of the great Shiva was called Meenakshi. The temple in her honor was erected about two thousand years ago. It will not be possible to say the exact date, but the first mention of it appeared in ancient Indian manuscripts. According to mythology, the beautiful goddess was distinguished by bulging "fish" eyes, which were considered at that time the standard of beauty for a woman. Goddess Parvati, the wife of Shiva, once angered her husband, and a royal daughter was born on Earth - her incarnation. The princess, after the death of her father, headed the state and gained fame as a strong ruler, invincible in the military.battles. Having met the great Shiva, the fearless Meenakshi fell in love with him at first sight. The temple was built on the site where they were married on Earth in the presence of all the gods descended from heaven.
Nobody still knows who built it and when. We are left with Tamil legends, which say that a chapel was founded on this place by the king-ruler Indra, and later it grew into a huge temple. In the XIII century, it was destroyed by Muslim conquerors. And only a hundred years later it was restored.
City Landmark
The real eighth wonder of the world is the Meenakshi Temple located in the city of Madurai - a huge complex located on an area of several hectares, with a pillared hall, a museum explaining the history of religion, and many gopurams (buildings in the form of towers) with colored sculptures Indian multi-armed gods.
With the external similarity of stone figures, none of them repeats the other. The main attraction receives fifteen thousand tourists and pilgrims every day, according to the old tradition, the latter live in the outer courtyards of the temple, where there are specially built rooms for them - mantapas. The cultural and historical monument reflects the ideas of Hinduism about culture and religion in all its unique glory.
Architectural complex
The striking Meenakshi temple, whose architectural splendor delighted the sophisticated traveler Marco Polo, is located in the city center. Ancientthe complex consists of gopurams, towering above the surface of the earth and erected near a picturesque reservoir. When viewed, each of them, covered with multi-colored bright sculptures, in which not a single pattern is repeated, is an independent work of art. The main shrines of the temple are located in its altar, hidden from the eyes of tourists, and only priests are allowed access to this divine place.
The hall of a thousand columns is called the heart of the temple. Musical bas alt pillars are of interest to all tourists: just knock on them lightly, and pleasant sounds are heard. People come to the pool with holy water, located inside and filled only during rituals on holidays, to bow to the ancient gods. Special prayers are offered to the sculpture of the elephant-headed Ganesha, who is the son of Shiva and Meenakshi.
Fabulous Meenakshi Temple (India)
All travelers are surprised by the incredible height of the rectangular building, the roof of which starts right above the entrance. Resembling a springboard, it seems to stretch upwards, to where the great Indian gods live. The slopes of the roof are entirely decorated with colorful sculptures, giving the building a magical atmosphere, and all over its surface there are colorful statues of gods, people, fabulous animals depicting scenes from local epics.
Tourists freeze with delight, watching the fantastically beautiful temple of Princess Meenakshi, whose architectural solutions amaze to this day: all the relief figures located in parallelto each other, form huge steps of a twisting bizarre shape. It is surprising that no right angles can be found in the building, according to ancient traditions, they are all smoothly rounded, decorated with patterns or carvings.
Encyclopedia of exploits and life path
In India, the veneration of the wise and militant goddess Meenakshi is unusually great. The temple, previously destroyed and restored to its original form, is a stone encyclopedia of her life path, which is illustrated by more than thirty thousand figure sculptures installed by her devoted followers. It should be noted that, by and large, no fundamental changes were made to the architectural decoration, and all colored sculptures are tinted every 12 years. In 2005, the unique building, which seems to embody the whole world of Hinduism, was restored.
Hindu Center
The sacred temple, as a place of worship for all adherents of Hinduism, is a symbol and model of the universe. The iconic attraction is open around the clock, because religious rituals dedicated to Shiva and Meenakshi are performed here day and night. The temple in Madurai is not only a tourist mecca, it is the largest and richest center of Hinduism, and numerous pilgrims visiting the temple leave expensive gifts as a token of respect.
Images of Shiva and Meenakshi
Inside the religious complex, the goddess Meenakshi is depicted in a green dress and with the same emerald complexion, she holds a parrot in one hand. It was said that once there was a cage, andthe birds kept in it were trained to pronounce the name of the fearless warrior.
Terrible Shiva is depicted dancing on many sculptures. According to ancient beliefs, when a great god starts dancing, order is restored in the world, and when he rests, complete chaos sets in. By the way, the ascetic Shiva is not only a protector, he is feared as a formidable destroyer, located near the funeral pyres. Often he is depicted as a bisexual deity: the left half of his body is represented by a female hypostasis, and the right half is male.
Due to its convenient location, the Meenakshi Temple in India is extremely beloved by various festival organizers. The most important of them in significance is the wedding of the gods, arranged annually by the priests. The temple holiday takes place for 12 days, at which time the sculpture of Shiva is dressed up, seated on a golden cart, which is harnessed by an elephant, and transported in a ritual circle around the entire perimeter of the temple. And every night the priests carry the figure of God to the temple and leave it on the bed until the morning.
Tourist Tips
Before entering a sacred place, it is necessary to wash the feet in the pond before entering. It is believed that water washes away all sins. Tourists leave their shoes in special compartments, only barefoot is allowed to enter. Previously, it was possible to climb the towers in front of the complex and view the Meenakshi temple from above. The photos of the breathtaking view turned out to be truly magical. However, after the suicide of a building worker, going upstairs is prohibited.
Photos inside are allowed incertain hours, for which tourists will have to pay. But shooting around the cultural and religious monument is not prohibited. At the main shrines, in order to prevent foreigners from visiting them, there are ministers dressed as policemen. In the evening, the Meenakshi temple gathers a huge number of travelers for the ceremony of worshiping the great gods to the melodic sounds of bells.
All tourists idly visiting the temple should remember that this is not an ordinary, but a very significant place for religious people, so it is necessary to observe the norms of decency corresponding to faith.
