The story descripted on the stones is as follows:
Malayadwaja Pandya, a king of Madurai , was childless for a long time. He performed a number of yagnas (sacrifices made before a sacred fire) because he wanted an heir to his throne. On one occasion, a three-year-old girl came out of the fire and Malayadwaja adopted her. But the girl had three breasts and this worried Malayadwaja. However, a divine voice assured him that the third breast would disappear as soon as she met her consort. The girl grew into a brave and beautiful princess. she won many battles, but eventually lost her heart to Lord Shiva, when she met him on the battle-field in Kailas. As soon as she saw him, her third breast disappeared and she recognized her divine consort, for the princess was none other than Shiva's wife, Parvathi. After ruling over the Pandya kingdom for a while, they settled in the Madurai temple as Meenakshi and Sundareswarar.
The legend says that the Lord performed several miracles during his wedding. There was nothing on the side of the bridegroom's party to match the regal splendour of the preparations made for his marriage; the story goes that on the wedding day, much to the astonishment of all, god Sundareshwara, the bridegroom came only with a dwarf 'Gundodhara'. Meenakshi, with a view to show her husband that she was very rich and powerful than him, haughtily remarked that the grand wedding arrangements would go waste since the bridegroom had not brought with him a large retinue befitting the occasion. God Sundareshwarar said that it would be sufficient if they would be able to feed the dwarf brought with him. To the amazement of all, everything that Madurai could produce in shape of things to eat and drink was not enough to satisfy appetite of Gundodhara, as the legend relates. Gundodhara quickly consumed both cooked and uncooked things and started asking for more. When there was nothing else left to eat, the dwarf began to cry for water to quench his thirst. All the water in the wells reservoirs of the city had gone in the same way as the food. It was only Mother Annapurneshwari that could satisfy his hunger and Ganga his thirst, when they were summoned for the purpose by Lord Shiva. Sundareshwarar asked the dwarf to place his palms on the ground and directed a flow of water which is said to be the picturesque Vaigai river on the banks of which grew the charming city of Madurai.
Ashta Shakthi Mandapam
A visitor who enters the temple through the eastern gateway, first enters this Mandapam(Hall). It was built by Thirumalai Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi Ammal and Tholimamai. In this hall food was once distributed to the devotees who came from far off places. Next to this hall is the Meenakshi Nayaka Mandapa, a spacious columned hall used for shops and stores. This hall has a votive lamp-holder with 1,008 lamps, which are lit on festive occasions and present a spectacular sight. The sculptures on the pillars here relate some of Lord Shiva's Thiruvilayadals (miracles) and also the story of Meenakshi's birth and her life as the princess of Madurai.
Swami Sundareswarar Shrine
Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva) the consort of Goddess Meenakshi is to the north of Kilikoontu Mandapam . On your way you can worship a gigantic idol of Sri Ganesh called Mukkurini Pillaiyar. When the king Thirumalai Nayakar excavated a temple tank 3 km from Meenakshi temple he unearthed this idol of Vinayaka and erected the same here.
In the outer pragaram there is stump of the kadamba tree, which is said to be a part of the same tree under which Indra worshipped Shiva linga. Also in the outer corridor there are the Kadambathadi Mandapam and big hall called 'Velli Ambalam'. Here, an idol of Nataraja (Shiva as the Lord of Dance) is seen. This idol of Nataraja is covered with silver leaves. Hence this hall is named as Velli Ambalam (Silver Hall).
The Thousand Pillar Mandapam
It is the 'wonder of the palace'. Actually the number of pillars count to 985 beautifully decorated columns. Each pillar is sculptured and is a monument of the Dravidan sculpture. There is a Temple Art Museum in this 1000 pillars hall where you can see icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200 years old history. There are so many other smaller and bigger mandapams in the temple.
Just outside this mandapam, towards the west, are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar when stuck, produces a different musical note. The kalyana mandapa, to the south of the pillared hall, is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chitirai Festival in mid- April.
Potramaraikulam (Golden Lotus Tank)
This temple tank is an ancient tank where devotees take bath in the holy water. According to mythology, Indra from Devaloka entered this tank and it was filled with golden Lillies. It is said that the tank was also, used to judge the literary merit of the manuscripts of poets and authors. When placed on the water, the manuscripts would float supported by a plank if its value was considered worthy: otherwise it would sink to the bottom. This testing miraculous plank was called 'Sanga Palkki' (sanga plank) and can still be seen in the temple museum. This tradition amply substantiates the view that Madurai once a centre of learning and erudition. The Pandyan kings were great patrons of arts and letters. One of the first monarchs of the dynasty, Ugra Paruvaludi (128-140 A.D.) is gratefully ,remembered for the patronage he extended to poet Tiruvalluvar.
Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam
This big hall is adjacent to Ashta Shakthi Mandapam, consisting of 110 pillars carrying the figures of a peculiar animal with a lion's body , and an elephant's head called Yalli. 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.
* South Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 170'6". This Tower has 1511 sudhai figures.
* West Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 163'3". This Tower has 1124 sudhai figures.
* North Tower (Nine Storeys). Height 160'6". This Tower has lesser figures of sudhai than other outer towers.
There are in all eleven towers to this temple, the largest and most beautiful being the one on the southern doorway. Rising to a height of about 70 metres, this impressive 'gopuram' is by far the most ornate and florid of the Dravidian towers. It has nine stories and crowded with grinning gargoyles and gryphons that perch on the ornate curved edges. The surface of the 'gopurams' on the southern door way is covered with plastic figures of deities and semi- divine characters, freely sculptured and drawn from Hindu mythology representing the appearance of a pulsating mass of masonry. With frequent renovations and additions being done down the centuries, there are more than 1,600 sculptured figures. An interesting incident is revealed by the local people which happened during the time of renovation work in 1923 A.D. While depicting the coronation of Meenakshi, the artist out of his own imagination included the figure of Mahatma Gandhi among the figures of audience. Some British officers who noticed it seem to have taken objection to it. It is understood that the figure of Gandhi was altered to depict a sage with a long beard. During the year 1960A.D., some of these figures were completely rebuilt and painted with gorgeous colours at great cost by Nattukottai Chettis. The northern 'gopuram' long known as "Mettai" is no longer there since a courageous Chetty endowed it with the plaster top; still it carried terracotta figures. No one enters or leaves the temple by the eastern tower which has become a taboo since a temple employee flung himself down from its top in the reign of Chokkanatha nayaka as a protest against an unjust levy. Visitors generally enter by the Ashta Lakshmi Mandapam.
The entrance to the temple by way of Meenakshi Nayakan Mandapam and also the Pudhu Mandapam is packed with stalls and shops which sell all sorts of things and spoil the dignity and beauty of the structures. At the farther end of the mandapam is a door way surrounded by a brass frame covered with scores of oil lamps lighted daily.
The high point of Meenakshi temple is its celebrated "Court of Thousand Pillars". Built around the year 1560A.D., it is a great work of structural engineering as well as sculpture and art. Every one of its thousand pillars is subjected to an amazing variety of ornate carvings. the sculptured figures of a nomadic tribe called Kuravi and his wife at the entrance itself are very interesting. There is an eye-catching sculpture of a main carrying a woman on his shoulders . From any point inside the Hall of pillars, it presents a magnificient view.
The monolith figure of Rati(goddess of love) is a marvellous sculpture. The slightly elongated Pandyan beauty wears large earings. Her arms, neck, waist, bosom and feet are encrusted with swirls over thighs, calf muscles and ankles. She has long hair done in a loose knot. She sits astride a swan. The foot of the flag shaft is guilded with gold and faces the shrine directly.
The thousand pillar mandapam is supposed to have been built by Arya Natha Mudaliyar , the Prime Minister of the first Nayaka of Madurai (1559-1600 A.D.) and the founder of 'Poligar System'. An equestrian statue of the Mudaliyar flanks one side of the steps leading to the 'mandapam'. Except the inner shrines, probably no part of the temple is older than the 16th century. There is a beautiful painting "of the marriage of Sundareswarar with Devi Meenakshi". Another beautiful painting is that of Harihara.
For about ten years after shifting to Madurai, Tirumala Nayaka devoted most of his time in improving defences and fortifications. He built the portions of Meenakshi temple that had been destroyed. He added the Pudumandapam, in front of the main temple. One of the greatest structures of its kind, it took seven years to complete the master sculptor Sumantimurthi. During this time, Nilakanta Dikshitar, the famous poet was Nayaka's Minister and adviser.
The construction of these 'mandapams' resulted in some interesting incidents which are worth mentioning. According to tradition, it is stated that when the chief sculptor was carving out of a pillar a figure of the principal queen of the Nayaka, a small stone piece chipped away from the thigh portion of the figure making an ugly depression. When the matter was reported to Minister Dikshitar, he is said to have asked the sculptor to ignore the damage and proceed further. After the idol was finished, Nayaka came to know the story and suspected the Minister, as his queen really had a similar mole on her thigh. Deciding to punish Dikshitar by blinding his eyes he sent word to him to come to the palace. But the Minister scented the intention of the king and he himself blinded the eyes by applying burning camphor to his eyes. Nayaka rushed to Dikshitar and expressed his remorse and sorrow. Nilakanta Dikshitar is said to have composed a Sanskrit poem of 107 stanzas called 'Anandasagara Sthavanam' in praise of the Goddess and by her grace he got back his vision to the joy of every one.
Timings : The temple is usually open between 0500hrs and 1230hrs and again between 1600 hrs and 21.30 hrs.
-madurainetwork
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