Meenakshi amman temple

Madurai: With the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department appointing S Krishnan as the new Joint Commissioner (JC) of Further, in a circular dated June 8, the HR & CE department stated that with Karumuttu T Kannan passing away on May 23, the temple has been unable to properly discharge various duties without a new fit person. It further said that for the welfare of the temple administration and to ensure day-to-day activities are carried out without any disruptions, it was directed for K Chelladurai, regional joint commissioner, Madurai, to temporarily take the position of the temple fit person until a new board of trustees is formed.

The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi (‘fish-eyed’ – an epithet for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry) is generally considered to be the peak of South Indian temple architecture, as vital to this region's aesthetic heritage as the Taj Mahal to North India. It’s not so much a 17th-century temple as a 6-hectare complex with 12 tall gopurams, encrusted with a staggering array of gods, goddesses, demons and heroes (1511 on the 55m-high south gopuram alone). According to legend, the beautiful Meenakshi (a version of Parvati) was born with three breasts and this prophecy: her superfluous breast would melt away when she met her husband. This happened when she met Shiva and took her place as his consort. The existing temple was mostly built during the 17th-century reign of Tirumalai Nayak, but its origins go back 2000 years to when Madurai was a Pandyan capital. The four streets surrounding the temple are pedestrian-only. Temple dress codes and security are airport-strict: no shoulders or legs (of either gender) may be exposed, and no bags or cameras are allowed inside. Despite this, the temple has a happier atmosphere than some of Tamil Nadu's more solemn shrines, and is adorned with especially vibrant ceiling and wall paintings. Every evening at 9pm, a frenetic, incense-clouded procession carries an icon of Sundareswarar (Shiva) to Meenakshi's shrine to spend the night; visitors can follow along. Before or after entering the temple, look aroun...

The Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai is one of the most revered temples of South India. And also one of the most famous ancient temples in India. A trip to Madurai is incomplete without a visit to this temple. In fact, many devotees plan a trip to Madurai for a mere visit to the Meenakshi Amman Temple. On our own 5 days road trip across Tamil Nadu covering Madurai, Rameshwaram, Chettinad and Thanjavur, it was one of the first few places we visited. So, in this post, I will take you through this grand temple in Madurai. And also tell you things about visiting this temple which you might not find elsewhere. image credit : எஸ்ஸார், CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • History of Meenakshi Amman Temple “Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple” or “Meenakshi Amman Temple” is also fondly called the Meenakshi Temple. It is one of the most famous historic temple that is located on the banks of the Vaigai river. This river passes through the centre of the temple town of Madurai. This temple is described in historical writings that date back as far as the 6th century CE !! And it is dedicated to the goddess Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva. In fact, this temple is one of the 275 Padal Petra Sthalam. These are a group of the greatest Hindu Shiva temples of the continent. Which were built around 6th – 9th centuries CE. Did you know this interesting fact about the Meenakshi Amman Temple? The state emblem of Tamil Nadu is based on the west tower (go...

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple Timings Today will give opening timings and closing timings of the Madurai Meenakshi temple. Follow the below details to visit the Madurai Meenakshi temple in the specified timings. Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple Timings Today The timings of the Madurai Temple is from Morning Hours: 06:00 am to 12:30 pm & Evening Hours: 04:00 pm to 09:00 pm. These are the Darshan timings of the Madurai temple. Officially the Madurai temple is opened 06.00 AM every day and will be closed by 09.00 pm on all days. These timings may differ during the festival seasons or any special days also. Pilgrims has to follow the below timings on regular basis. Madurai Temple Darshan Timings Sl.No Darshan Timings Pooja Type 1 04:30 am Temple Opening Hours 2 04:30 am – 05:15 am Maalai Pooja 3 05:00 am – 06:00 am Thiruvanandal Pooja 4 06:30 am – 07:15 am Vizha Pooja 5 06:30 am – 07:15 am Kalasandhi Pooja 6 07:15 am – 10:30 am Darshan 7 10:30 am – 11:15 am Thrukalasandhi pooja 8 10:30 am – 11:15 am Uchikkala Pooja (Noon Pooja) 9 11:15 am – 12:30 pm Darshan 10 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm Temple remains closed 11 04:00 pm Temple reopens 12 04:30 pm – 07:30 pm Darshan 13 07:30 pm – 08:15 pm Ardhajama Pooja (Night Pooja) 14 08:15 pm – 09:30 pm Darshan 15 09:30 pm – 10:00 pm Palliarai pooja 16 10:00 pm Temple Closing Hours Please note during the afternoon break pilgrims will not be allowed for the Darshan at any cost. The temple will be completely closed during this time and hence no one wi...