Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai: Timing, History & How to Reach

Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai: Madurai, the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu, is one of the oldest and holiest cities in India. The temples of Madurai prove it is one of India’s most important pilgrimage sites. The historic Meenakshi Amman Temple is located on the southern banks of the Vaigai River, Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

The Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai is primarily dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, whose husband is Lord Shiva. This temple is different from others because both the goddess and the deity are worshipped together.

It is a major pilgrimage site as there are many ancient temples here, where crowds of tourists are seen throughout the year. Learn more about the beautiful Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai with 99Pandit.

Meenakshi Amman Temple: Darshan Timings

Worship and darshan	Time
Temple opening hours	4:30 am
Worship me	4:30 a.m. to 5:15 a.m.
Thiruvananthapuram Puja	5:00 AM – 6:00 AM
Vizha Puja	6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.
Kalasandhi Puja	6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.
Visit	7:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Trikalasandhi Puja	10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Uchikkal Puja (Afternoon Puja)	10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Visit	11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Temple closing time	12:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Temple reopened	4:00 pm
Visit	4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ardhajama Puja (Night Puja)	7:30 pm to 8:15 pm
Visit	8:15 pm to 9:30 pm
Pallilliyarai Puja	9:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Temple closing time	10:00 PM

 

The Architecture of Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

The structure of this temple was initially constructed between 1623-1655 the amazing architecture of this place is globally renowned. The Meenakshi Temple is primarily dedicated to Maa Parvati, known as Meenakshi. The most impressive feature of the temple is its façade, which depicts artwork on the walls and pillars.

The Meenakshi Amman Temple complex is built as per Shilpa Shastra and consists of 14 gateway towers or ‘gopurams’, golden ‘vimanas’, the sacred sanctum sanctorum and shrines dedicated to the revered Goddess Meenakshi, and many others.

It is a major tourist attraction, with thousands of devotees visiting the temple every day.

Significance of Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

Devotees from all over India come here with great devotion and fulfil their wishes by worshipping Goddess Meenakshi. Lord Shiva is also known as Sundareshwar. The mythological belief here is that Lord Shiva came to King Malaydhwaj to marry Meenakshi Devi and Malaydhwaj accepted this proposal.

This Meenakshi Amman temple is the favourite place of Goddess Parvati among all the places of Goddess Parvati. According to mythological beliefs, King Malaydhwaj did very difficult penance to have a child and pleased with this penance, Goddess Meenakshi gave birth as a girl in the house of King Malaydhwaj.

The most special thing about the Meenakshi temple is that there are two temples on its premises. One temple is the Meenakshi temple and the other is called the Pradhan temple.

Here Meenakshi Devi has a parrot in one hand and a small sword in the other. A picture of a Kalyan Utsav is painted on the wall of their temple. In the other temple, there is a temple of Sundareshwar Dev, who is considered to be the incarnation of Shiva.

Here in the marriage ceremony, the hand of Sundareshwar Dev is handed over to the hands of Meenakshi Devi. On one hand, Kanyadan is done in Hinduism, on the other hand, a unique tradition is seen in the Meenakshi Devi temple.

It is believed that every night Sundareshwar visits the sanctum sanctorum of Meenakshi Devi. During this time, both the couples stay together, and no one disturbs them at this time.

Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai: History

As per mythology, It is considered that this temple was founded by Indra Dev. He built this temple while going on a pilgrimage because of his misdeeds. As soon as he reached the self-manifested Linga of Madurai, he felt as if someone was carrying his burden.

After this, seeing this miracle, he installed the Linga in the temple. Indra used to worship Lord Shiva and that is why we see lotus flowers around the pool there.

Historians believe that this Meenakshi temple is more than 2500 years old. The sanctum sanctorum of this temple is 3500 years old. Its outer walls and the outer temple complex are more than 1500-2000 years old.

This magnificent temple has been built on 45 acres of land. Shiva also sits here along with Goddess Parvati at the Meenakshi Devi Temple.

This temple has 14 magnificent gopurams, on which beautiful carvings have been done. 8 pillars have been built in the temple, on which eight idols of Goddess Lakshmi have been installed. Mythological stories of Lord Shiva are written on these pillars. There is also a statue of Lord Ganesha in this temple, on which fine carvings have been done in stone.

Mythological Story Related to Meenakshi Amman Temple

Birth of Devi Meenakshi

According to the mythological story, King Malayadhwaj Pandya of Madurai and his wife performed a yagya to get a son. The daughter they got from this yagya was three years old.

One special thing about the daughter who was born older than a normal child was that her eyes were large and well-shaped like a fish. For this reason, King Malayadhwaj and his wife named their daughter Meenakshi.

The Secret Behind Her Three Breasts

Apart from having eyes like a fish, King Malaydhwaj’s daughter also had three breasts. The king and queen were very sad to see their daughter having three breasts.

Upon seeing this, Lord Shiva appeared before the king and assured him that the third breast would disappear on its own when they found a suitable groom for his daughter.

Shiva also said that his daughter would be very courageous and that is why his daughter would also rule his kingdom like the king.

Meenakshi Devi was very courageous. For this reason, she wanted to rule the whole world. To fulfil her purpose, Devi Meenakshi defeated many kings. Not only kings but also defeated many gods.

Riding on her Vijay Rath, Meenakshi Devi reached a forest one day, where she met a young sanyasi. When Meenakshi Devi met this sanyasi, her third breast disappeared on its own. As soon as the breast disappeared, she understood that according to Shiva’s words, this sanyasi was her suitable groom.

How did Devi Meenakshi Marry Lord Shiva?

This sanyasi was none other than Lord Shiva. The name of this sanyasi was Sundareshwar Dev.

Seeing Sundareshwar, Queen Meenakshi remembered that she had met this young man earlier and she remembered that she was the incarnation of Parvati and this sanyasi was Lord Shiva.

Meenakshi Devi returned to Madurai with the sanyasi and married Sundareshwar Dev.

Festivals Celebrated in Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

The Meenakshi Amman Temple celebrates many festivals throughout the year that add to its spirit and cultural value. Major festivals include:

Chitthirai Brahmotsavam or Arulmigu Thirukalyanam: People observe the magnificent festival for 12 days in the month of Chitthirai (April). It is the religious wedding celebration of Lord Sundareshwara (Lord Shiva) and Goddess Meenakshi (Goddess Parvati).

Aavani Festival: For 18 days in the month of Aavani, that is, in August, it is a festival for the coronation of Lord Sundareshwara as King of Madurai.

Navarathri Festival: A ten-day festival in the name of Goddess Amman, with a lot of fervour and devotion. Lights and colorful decorations beautifully adorn the temple, and people organize cultural festivals on the premises.

Teppotsavam: it is a float festival conducted during the Tamil month of Thai (January) where the idols of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara are taken on a grand procession in the waters of the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam.

More Places to visit in Madurai

1. Koodal Azhagar Temple

Lord Vishnu presides over the Koodal Azhagar Temple. It is located in the heart of Madurai city in Tamil Nadu and is a unique and famous temple of historical significance. The Pandyas built this temple in the Dravidian style of architecture.

Koodal refers to the city of Madurai, and Tamil speakers call Azhagar “beautiful.” They refer to Vishnu as Koodal Alagar and his wife Lakshmi as Mathuravalli.

Beautifully carved and engraved by adding various colours, this majestic temple leaves the onlookers spellbound. You can visit this temple between 5 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 9 pm.

2. Alagar Koil

Alagar Koil is an outstanding temple located in the northeast of Madurai. The temple is the resting place of Lord Vishnu and is a sacred place for many followers of Lord Vishnu in the region.

The Alagar Hills house this place, which people also call Azhagarkovil. Kallalagar completely made the idol of the Lord out of stone, showcasing a brilliant masterpiece.

The temple houses various idols of the Lord in different postures under one roof, making it the best form of a separate temple in South India. One can visit this temple from 6 am to 12:30 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm.

3. Tirupparankundram Murugan Temple

Tirupparankundram Murugan Temple is one of the pilgrimage places in South India. This region features a hilly terrain and people also call it the Southern Himalayas of India. It is a divine and blissful destination where beauty never fades.

People see this temple as a holy place for marriage, and most wedding ceremonies occur here. Lord Subrahmanya married in this temple, and since then, many people have tied the knot in front of the Lord here.

4. Mariamman Teppakulam

This divine temple dedicated to Lord Vighneshwara is located at a distance of about 5 km from the Meenakshi Temple. The temple complex has a huge pond, which also holds the record of being the largest pond in the area of ​​Tamil Nadu.

It is said that the idol of the temple was also recovered from the bottom of the pond and since then this pond has gained popularity.

Many different types of festivals are celebrated in the temple and all the rituals are performed with great pomp and joy. You can visit this temple between 8 am to 7 pm.

How to Reach Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

You can easily visit Meenakshi Amman Temple in three ways: by flight, by train, and by bus.

By Air

Anyone can go by flight to visit Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. For this, you will have to book a flight ticket first but keep in mind that you should do this work at least 3-4 months in advance, if not 2, so that you get it at the right price.

After reaching Madurai Airport, you can book a taxi to go to Meenakshi Temple from here. You will also get this facility near the airport.

By Train

From Chennai, you can take a train from Egmore Railway Station. It will take you to Madurai Railway Station in 7-8 hours. After reaching here, you can book a taxi for Meenakshi Temple. You can also avail bus service to go from Chennai to Madurai.

By Bus

You can either take a state government bus or a private bus. You will get the bus from Chennai CMBT Bus Terminus located in Koyambedu. After reaching Madurai, get down at Mattuthavani Bus Stand. The distance of Meenakshi Temple from here is just 20 minutes. You can go to the temple by catching an auto or taxi.

Conclusion

So this is it. If you are planning to visit Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, let me tell you the best time to visit the temple. Experts suggest that you should opt for the winter months from October until March.

Expect good weather conditions during these months that are pleasant and comfortable, ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. The cool and dry weather will allow a more enjoyable temple visit without the discomfort of extreme heat or humidity.

Apart from this, if you are willing to perform puja in your home or office and do not know where to find an authentic pandit then we have got you. With 99Pandit you can get a Pandit at your doorstep by clicking on “Book a Pandit” on the website.

For more blog posts like this do visit our 99Pandit platform and stay updated with such holy places.