India is known for the special temples. This country is really big so there are unlimited colorful places present for the tourists. India has several states but Tamil Nadu has no comparison. This state is known best because of the pleasant atmosphere, green environment, big rivers and special temples. Visiting India becomes more necessary when someone learns about all these things. The Madurai is a big city in Southern India. It is among the major cities of Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, Madurai is has the third position because of the largest area as well as population. The presence of River Vaigai makes it more important and prominent. In fact, this river is the main reason of lifeline in this city. History of the Madurai belongs to era of Before Christ. According to the historical books, this city was present in the 1780 BC. Greek ambassador Megasthenes mentioned that this city was the most developed place in the 3rd century BCE. The city has roots with the most ancient civilizations of the world. According to the several historians, this city has been part of the ancient kingdoms. Numerous rulers occupied and ruled there. The most popular rulers of this city were Pandyas, Madurai sultanate, Madurai Nayaks and British. With the passage of time, the Madurai was picked as a special place where agriculture, water and trade were present as a dominant factor. First of all, the Pandyas invaded the city and they developed a strong government in this city. In the times of Pandyas, considerable development was took place in this area. They are known to manage the River Vaigai for the agricultural purposes. Before the times of Pandyas, there was no proper management of this river. They brought engineers from the Greek Island for the construction of mini dams, ponds and canals in the area for the development. Second phase of the development was completed by the Madurai sultanates. They were also interested to keep the progress and development in the area. Major modifications according to the increasing population were made there. They developed the trade routes in order to start import and export activities. The era of sultanates is considered most important for the economic progress of this city. British government was more conscious about the modern development in Madurai. They started to develop rails, roads and other important things for the easy movement. The basic purpose of developing all these things was to move the army frequently to other southern parts as well as countries. After the independence of India, the Madurai was made a district in the state of Tamil Nadu. Today, the Madurai city is known best for the several things. It is among the most attractive places present in this country. This southern part of the India is considered a tourist’s attraction because of the attractive temples, places and civilization. Things to do: Unlike India’s most important civilizations and traditions, the Madurai city has its own special identity. It is one of the most important cities where festivals are organized according to the Hindu Months. Major festivals and celebrations are enjoyed by almost everyone. People from different states and countries visit the city for the enjoyable festivals. Chithrai festival: This is the most important festivals in the city. This festival is considered special for the Hindus present in Tamil Nadu. The festival is organized in the month of April every year. Last year, the festival was started on 14 April. This festival lasts for 12 days. Here are the details of festival. Day 1: Official flag hoisting. Day 8: Meenakshi Amman coronation. Day 9: Goddess procession. Day 10: Wedding of Lord Sundareswarar and Meenakshi. Day 11: Chariot procession. Day 12: Float procession. Annual Bull Run: Like Spain, the Madurai city is also famous for the Bull Run. This festival is organized under the supervision of local administration. In this festival, the people run after or forward the bull. According to the historians, there are close links present between the Spanish culture and Madurai culture. It is believed that there were relations between the Madurai sultanates and Spanish rulers in past. This festival is started in the month of January. Pongal festival: It is also enjoyed in the month of January. This festival is important for the people of Tamil Nadu because it is related to the Lord Sundareswarar. This festival is celebrated by the Tamil Hindus with a religious and cultural emotion. It is recommended to attend this festival in order to see the ancient culture of this city. Festival of Cradle: This festival is famous because of the cradle. It is a religious ceremony celebrated during the wedding of Lord Sundareswarar and Goddess Meenakshi. Both are sent into a mirror room where they will enjoy the swing for nine days. Avanimoolam festival: It is celebrated in September. It is the coronation of Lord Siva. The temple priest recites special stories about the Lord Siva. There are tales that Lord Siva protected the city of Madurai by using his 64 miracles. Nine Night festival: It is a short festival that needs only one day for celebrations. The Goddess Meenakshi is offered nine types of flowers and rice meals. This is presented as a tribute for her wisdom and fury. This festival is very special for the tourists because it is a colorful celebration. Dance festival: This is an amazing opportunity for the people who want to celebrate the tour in a real way. This festival is organized by the local administration. This festival lasts for 15 days. Different teams are introduced in the dancing competition. Fishing: As a matter of fact, the River Vaigai presents great opportunities for the fishing. People who love fishing should not forget to bring the rods and other materials. There are special spots and points where you can capture the freshwater fishes. Camping: In the highlands close to the mountains there are special places for the camping. Couples and families can choose the attractive spots for the camping. It is recommended to see the places where there are fences. Actually, natural organisms are present around the hills. It is why safe places should be selected. Things/Places to see: We have mentioned so many important activities and things to do in the Madurai. However, it is important to find the special destinations. The city of Madurai is famous for the ancient temples. It is called the Athens of India. You can find dozens of temples in this area. Some of the most attractive destinations are given here. Sundareswarar Temple: This temple is dedicated to the Sri Meenakshi. It has been noticed that this temple has a difficult construction. It has special corners and parts where ancient colors are prominent. The temple is one of the most popular and heavily visited places in the South India. Thousands of Hindu visitors come here for the religious ceremonies. This temple is also attractive for the international tourists. Thirumalai Nayak Palace: This is a beautiful palace. This palace was developed by the Nayak Family. The palace has numerous rooms, big halls, fountains and other gardens. Visiting this palace will definitely give you a chance to see the beauty of South India. You will also find the special construction style. Visiting this palace would be a super chance to enjoy the time. Thirupparankundram Temple: It is another famous temple in Tamil Nadu. This was developed in ancient times by the Lord Subramanya. This temple was constructed by cutting the solid rock. For the engineering point of view, it is a big myth for the engineers to find how ancient ruler developed such buildings without heavy machinery. River Vaigai: This river is called lifeline of Madurai city. As a matter of fact, this city is present as a well-developed civilization just because of this river. It is said that Vaigai River is responsible for the agriculture, trade and other economic activities in this region. The people who are interested to see the most important places in this city must visit this famous river. Vaigai Cruise: No doubt, boats are present there but local government has started a new enjoyment opportunity for the people. The Vaigai cruise is one of the most important opportunities for the entertainment. It is very pleasurable to hire a private cruise for the kids and family. This cruise trip allows the tourists to see the important places close to the bank of Vaigai. Boat tours: These are small tours for the tourists. Hire a private boat and enjoy the tour. Paddle boats have been introduced by the tourism board but only for a limited area. Special spot has been prepared like small ponds and lakes for the tourists. Gandhi museum: This museum was programmed by the Indian Government. This is a palace of Rani Mangammal. This museum is very important for the people who are interested to see the Gandhi movement in India. Village life, style and other things are also present in pictures. Mariamman Teppakulam: It is a beautiful palace covering a big area of 16 acres. The famous Float Fesitval is organized here. The temple and palace are decorated with the lights giving an amazing view. Places to eat and drink: The Madurai is a big city. You can easily find the special places to eat and drink. It has been observed that increasing trend of tourism has made this city more popular among the food and drink industries. Numerous restaurants, hotels and food chains are present in this city. Maduraibiryani house: It is a famous place for the people who want to take the pleasure of local foods. This restaurant offers a wide range of rice dishes. Tasty Madurai biryani is the most popular dish for the tourists. It is recommended to try this biryani in order to find a new pleasure. Heritage Madurai: It is another special place for the people who are interested to have a modern luxury dining facility in this city. This is a hotel as well as restaurant where tourists are given a traditional service. The tourists can find a special sense of modern as well as traditional culture at this point. This restaurant presents special local dishes including the biryani, pakora and samosa with high tea. Fortune Pandiyan: This is a royal place for the tourists. It is a spot where you can easily find the traditional dishes. The rice dishes are very famous here. Try the royal rice dishes in order to have more enjoyment. The Madurai royal rice dish is very famous in the area. Don’t forget to try it. Chopstix Multicuisine Family restaurant: This is a special place for the people who love ice cream. Several ice cream dishes are offered by the management. Don’t forget to try the best ice cream dishes. There are total 184 dishes present for the tourists. Best time to visit and weather: According to the local government, the best visiting time starts from January to September. Actually, this city is suitable for the tourists in any season because of the festivals. Numerous festivals are organized everyone month that’s why you can visit Madurai any time. It would be great to visit it in the early season of year. The environment of Madurai is moderate. It is heavily rained in March to May. However, the strong infrastructure of the city allows the travelers to visit any place without any problem. The tourists are suggested to consider the traveling services such as train, bus and taxi. All these services are available. The highest temperature recorded in this region is 32 centigrade in summers. The lowest temperature is 3 centigrade. The humidity percentage is about 78 % in the early season of year. Accommodation: There are so many impressive hotels and restaurants present in this city. The tourists are suggested to book the hotels and rooms before visiting Madurai. Actually, the city is very busy because of the considerable festivals. Following accommodation options are very attractive. Madurai hotel. Grand hotel Madurai. SS hotel. Hari’s hotel. Hotel Temple.
I think you missed Meenakshi temple... Its a must for every traveler.. Huge and massive.. The night arti is amazing.. Its like a chakrvuyh and we are like abhimanyu " We know how to enter it but not how to exit" I went there when was a kid I still remember how my father and I got lost in it..took us 30min to get outta it.. Thanks for writing this.. Sent from my Lenovo K50a40 using Tapatalk
Thanks for pointing that out. I will send message to Chahal and see if he can give me editing rights to edit my guide. How did you get lost in there? Was it too crowded or what?
It was very crowded but large as well.. Crowd was no issue but its vast landscape was.. It is a very huge n large temple.. Everything was written in Tamil couldn't understand those boards.. Sent from my Lenovo K50a40 using Tapatalk
