Madurai (Tamil Nadu)
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Hotels & Resorts in Madurai |
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 Madurai or the "city of nectar" is the oldest and
second largest city of
Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of
Pandyan rulers till the 14th century. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a
gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when
city was being named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the
auspicious occasion some Divine nectar ("Madhu") fell from the matted locks of
Shiva and hence the city was named "Madhurapuri". This sacred town of south
attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as well as abroad.
The
life of Madurai revolves around the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. This
magnificently carved temple is the main attraction of Madurai and its huge
Gopurams towers over the city. Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'.
Precisely there are 985 pillars and each of them is delicately and exquisitely
carved. Among these are the musical pillars, which produce music when tapped.
Surprisingly, these musical pillars are carved out of a single granite rock. The
temple has been a hub of Tamil culture and has been sponsoring literature, art,
music, and dance in the region for a long time. The temple also has an art
museum. The city apart from temple is crammed with shops, street markets and
temples, pilgrims choultries, hotels and restaurants. Though Madurai is
considered as pilgrimage but it has also developed as a business centre and is
famed for its traditional handicrafts in bronze and brass.
PLACES TO VISIT
- Meenakshi Temple- 1.6 kms
- Tirumalai Nayak Palace- 2 kms
- Mariamman Tank
- Koodal Alagar Temple
- Gandhi Museum and Government Museum (Timings: 1000-1300 hours & 1400-1800
hours. Closed on Wednesdays)
EXCURSIONS
- Alagar Koil (21 kms)
- Tiruparan Kundram (8 kms)
- Pazhamudhirchglai (25 kms)
- Srivilliputhur (74 kms)
- Vaigai Dam (69 kms)
- Kodaikanal (120 kms)
- Trichy (142 kms)
HOW TO GET THERE?
Air : Indian Airlines connect Madurai with
Chennai, Calicut and Bombay. Vayudoot Services also connect Madurai with Chennai
& Pondicherry. East West Airlines also connect Madurai with Bombay.
Rail : Madurai is Connected by rail via
Chennai with all the main places in India.
Road : Madurai is connected by good
motorable roads to Chennai (472 kms), Trichy (142 kms), Rameshwarm (139 kms),
Kanyakumari (232 kms), Tirunelveli (151 kms), Kodaikanal (120 kms), Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary (136 kms), Palani (122 kms), Thanjavur (223 kms), Bangalore
(446 kms), Bombay (1454 kms).
Bus : Regular bus-services connect Madurai
with Chennai,Bangalore,Tanjore,Palani,
Courtallam,Kanyakumari,Kodaikanal,Periyar,Tiruchirapalli and Trivandrum.
Local Transport: Taxi, Autorickshaw, City
bus, Cycle-rickshaw available here.
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