Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Context: 

The Prime Minister offered prayers at  the Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai.

• The Thoda tribal community gifted a handmade shawl from Nilgiris to PM.
• A replica of the Jallikattu Bull presented  as a mark of thanks to remove the ban on Jallikattu.

Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai

• Location: Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River, Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
• Presiding deity: The temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, a form of Shakti/Parvati  and her consort Shiva in the form of Sundareshwarar.

• Meenakshi Amman Temple Historical Importance:

  • Sangam: The early Sangam texts implies the existence of the Temple in Madurai by the mid-6th century AD which served as the Sangam of scholars, or a place where scholars meet.
  • Text source: The Temple finds its mention in the Tamil text Tiruvilayadalpuranam and the Sanskrit text Halasya Mahatmya.
  • Paadal Petra Sthalams: The Temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams (They are the  275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE)
  • Pancha Sabhai (five courts): The Meenakshi temple is one of the Pancha Sabhai where  Shiva performed the  cosmic dance. This massive Nataraja sculpture is enclosed in a huge silver altar and hence called “Velli Ambalam” (silver abode)

• Meenakshi Amman Temple Built by: 

  • Meenakshi Amman Temple was built by Pandyan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE–1205 CE).
  • Invasion: In the early 14th century, the armies of Delhi Sultanate led by Commander Malik Kafur plundered the temple
  • Rebuilt: It was rebuilt, repaired and renovated first by the Vijaynagar Empire  and the expanded in the 16- 17th century by  Hindu Nayaka dynasty ruler Vishwanatha Nayak and further by  Tirumala Nayaka (1623-55 AD).

• Meenakshi Amman Temple Features: 

• • It is built in the Dravida style Architecture:
    • Covered  porches on temples (Vimanas): Two principal sanctuaries sit at the center of the temple complex dedicated to both the deities. A gold finial visible only from a high vantage point, caps each of these sanctuaries.

    • Tall  Entry Gate Towers (Gopurams):

      • The temple complex has 14 gopurams in total with 4 nine-storey gopurams (outer),1 seven-storey gopuram (Chittirai), 5 five-storey gopurams, 2 three-storey, and 2 one-storey gold-gilded sanctum towers.
      • The Southern gopura: It  is the  tallest at 51.9 metres (170 ft) containing more than 1500 figures that are repaired and repainted every twelve years

• • • Sculpted Pillared Halls: 

      • Aayirankaal  Mandapam (1000-pillared hall): Each pillar is sculpted with the pictures of gods, demons, animals etc
      • Musical pillars: The outermost corridor situates the musical pillars carved out of stones. When it is tapped, each pillar produces a different musical note.
      • Other main  halls include Ashta Shakthi Mandapam (Hall of eight goddesses; Kilikoondu-mandapam, Golu-mandapam and Pudu-mandapam.
    • Porthamarai Kulam Golden Lotus Tank: It is a  water tank or reservoir at the  south end of the complex for ritual bathing.

News Source: PIB

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