Place of Interest
MADURAI MEENAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE
The Temple is dedicated to Meenakshi, the lovely consort of Lord Shiva. The original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the entire credit for making the temple as splendid as it is today goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from the 16th to the 18th century and left a majestic imprint of their rule in the Meenakshi – Sundareswarar Temple.
Temple Towers
There are 12 temple towers(Gopurams). The outer towers are the landmarks of Madurai. They are:
- East Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 161’3″. This Gopura has 1011 sudhai figures.
2. South Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 170’6″. This Tower has 1511 sudhai figures.
3. West Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 163’3″. This Tower has 1124 sudhai figures.
4. North Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 160’6″. This Tower has lesser figures of sudhai than other outer towers.
ALAGARKOIL
Located 21 kms. northwest of Melur is a Vishnu Temple on a picturesque wooded hill Here ‘Vishnu’ presides as Meenakshi’s brother ‘Azhgar’. During the Chitrai festival in April/May, when the celestial marriage of Meenakshi to Sundareswarar is celebrated, Azhagar travels to Madurai. A gold processional icon called the Sundararajar is carried by devotees in procession from Azhagar Kovil to Madurai for wedding ritual.
PALAMUDHIRSOLAI
Palamudhirsolai, one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya is on the Alagarkoil hill, about 4 kms. above. A natural spring called Nuburagangai where pilgrims bath, is located here.
Narasingam
North West of 15 kms from Melur to Madurai road . There is a Temple carved out of Stone dedicated to Lord Narasima Near Othakkadai.
Thirumohoor
From Melur to Thiruvathavur Road South 12 kms Next to the Melur Thiruvathavoor Road is the small but beautiful vaishnavaite temple. It has a beautiful Lotus Pond in the backdrop of lush green paddy field.
Thiruvathavoor
From Melur to South 7 kms The birth place of one of the four great saints of Shiva ‘Manikavasagar’. There is a beautiful temple here which is built by him.