Madurai

Madurai's history falls into roughly four periods beginning over 2000 years ago when it was the capital of the Pandyan kings and known to the 4th century BC Greeks via Megasthenes, their ambassador at the court of Chand-ragupta Maurya. In the 10th century AD it was taken by the Chola emperors and remained with them until the Pandyas briefly regained their independence in the 12th century only to lose it again in the 14th to the Moslem invaders under Malik Kafur, a general in the service of the Delhi Sultanate. Malik Kafur set up his own dynasty here which ruled for a while before being overthrown by the Hindu Vijayanagar kings of Hampi. After the fall of Vijayanagar in 1565, Madurai was taken over by the Nayaks who ruled from 1559 until 1781 AD. It was during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak (1623-55) that the bulk of the Meenakshi Temple was built.

Meenakshi Amman Temple: An excellent example of Dravidian Architecture, the Meenakshi Temple attracts devotees from all over India and Tourist from all over the world. One can climb to the southern Gopuram of the temple to get a great view of the city.

Koodal Azhaar Temple: One of the most ancient temples in Madurai, Koodal Azhagar temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In this temple he is seen in various postures sitting, standing, reclining one over the other. There are intricate woodcarvings in here, including one of Lord Rama's coronation.

Vandiyur Kanmoy Tourist Complex: This is an ideal picnic spot with TTDC providing boathouses restaurants services.

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal: This palace is an excellent example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture. It was built in 1523 AD and originally was four times larger than what it is today. The gardens, the defensive wall all have gone and what remains are the main entrance gate, the dancing hall and the main hall. Lord Napier renovated the palace in 1866-72 and later further restoration works were carried on. Today, the main attraction of the palace is light and sound show, which is based on the life of "Tirumalai Nayak" and "Silapathikaram".

Vanditur Mariamman Teppakulam: This huge tank is covers an area equal to the six of Meenakshi temple. Tirumalai Nayak built it in 1646. It is said that channels from the Vaigai River connect the tank. Today, this tank remains empty for most of the year except during the Teppam Festival.

The Gandhi Museum: The museum was initially the palace of Rani Mangammal. It gives a clear account of the history of Independence movement of India. This museum also tells some little known facts about Gandhiji but the real piece of Gandhi Memorabilia is the blood stained Dhoti, which he was wearing at the time of his assassination. The local government museum is also situated over here. The small bookshop offers plenty of reading material from Gandhiji's works.

Thirupparankundram: This is one of the abodes of Lord Sundareshwara, a rock cut temple carved out of a mountain, just 8-km from the city.

Azhagar Koil: This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is located 18-km northeast of Madurai on a picturesque hilltop. The gold image of Azhagar travels for the Celestial marriage during the Chithirai festival.

Pazhamudhirsolai: On the same hills of Azhagar Koilthis is again one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.

Kodaikkanal: One of the best hill stations in India and one of the few in South India, Kodaikkanal or Kodai is a very beautiful place near Madurai. It takes just 121-km of travel to reach Kodai. Kodai is located 2,130 m above the sea level in the Western Ghats.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: One of the well-known wildlife sanctuaries in the south, Periyar sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers every year. Also called the Tekkadi wildlife sanctuary, this place is appropriate to watch and observe the animals in their natural habitat. The forest of this sanctuary slope into the man made lake at the bottom of the hill