Meenakshi Amman Temple

The Meenakshi Amman Temple is a Hindu temple in the centre of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva. It is one of the largest and most visited temple complexes in India, covering about 6 hectares, and its towering gopuram gateways, crowded with thousands of painted figures, dominate the skyline of the old city.

The Meenakshi Amman Temple is praised in Tamil literature over two thousand years old, but the complex seen today was largely built in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Nayak rulers of Madurai, especially Thirumalai Nayak. The temple has 14 gopurams, the tallest, the southern tower, rising about 52 metres. Madurai's old city is laid out in concentric squares of streets around the temple, used for processions. Each April or May, the Chithirai festival celebrates the divine wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar and draws huge crowds.

What to see

• The 14 gopurams, covered in painted sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythical beings
• The Potramarai Kulam, the Golden Lotus Tank at the heart of the complex
• The Hall of a Thousand Pillars, with its carved pillars and temple art museum
• The musical pillars, which ring with different notes when tapped
• The painted ceilings and corridors around the main shrines
• The night ceremony when Sundareswarar is carried to Meenakshi's shrine

What to wear

The Meenakshi Amman Temple enforces a dress code: shoulders and legs must be covered, and shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops are not allowed. Men can wear trousers or a veshti with a shirt; women a saree, salwar kameez or long skirt with a covered top. Shoes and socks are removed at the entrance, and the stone floors get hot, so visit early. Madurai is hot for most of the year. The Madurai sungudi, a light cotton saree with tie-dyed dots, is the city's own traditional textile.

Local food to try

Madurai is famous for jigarthanda, a cold drink of milk, almond gum, ice cream and sarsaparilla syrup, sold on the streets around the temple. Madurai idli, soft and served with several chutneys, and kari dosa, topped with minced mutton, are local specialities. Evening food stalls near the temple serve parotta with salna, a spicy gravy. The streets around the temple are full of vegetarian meals restaurants, and the city's Chettinad-style non-vegetarian cooking is worth trying.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March, early morning or evening for the ceremonies
• Open daily, about 5am to 12:30pm and 4pm to 9:30pm
• Free general entry; paid queues for quicker darshan
• Allow two to three hours
• In central Madurai, about 12 km from Madurai airport and around 460 km from Chennai
• Mobile phones, cameras and bags must be deposited before entry; non-Hindus may not enter the inner sanctums

Nearby places

From Madurai, the tea hills of Munnar and Eravikulam National Park are around five hours west across the Western Ghats, and the Kerala coast at Kovalam is a longer drive of about six hours to the south-west.