From her home at the beautiful Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil nestling by the placid waters of the Vaigai River, Goddess Meenakshi has remained a tour de force for the residents of Madurai since the 6th century. All roads, invariably, lead to this stunning shrine.
An embodiment of the Hindu goddess of Shakti, Meenakshi’s steadfast gaze is a keen reminder of woman empowerment, even amongst the celestial beings. Even Lord Shiva, manifested here as her consort Sundarheswarar, steps back, allowing her to glory in the devotions of her faithful.
Meenakshi’s hold on Madurai as its tutelary deity is a palpable reality. Her devotees flock from great distances to bathe in the effulgence of her blessings. The twin shrine, dedicated to Lord Sundareswarar, stands nearby. But it is Meenakshi who gets preferential treatment in Madurai, even though both deities are the objects of deep devotion.
Intriguingly, it was Lord Shiva, who was the first subject of this veneration. According to local myths it was Lord Indra who established a small tower over a self-emanating stone linga. The deities were the first to arrive and worship at this crude shrine, so strong was Shiva’s eminence in the celestial hierarchy. Over time humans started following suit. The man who led this was Dhananjaya, a humble farmer who witnessed this amazing sight and alerted the ruler of the time, Kulashekhara Pandya, about it. Kulashekhara immediately ordered a clearing to be created in the forest for a proper shrine to be built in Shiva’s name. This was about 3,500 years ago.
But another story was unfolding. A daughter, Meenakashi, was born to Kulashekhara. The problem was that he wanted a son. And his daughter was born with three breasts. He wept bitterly before the gods, who told him to raise her as a warrior, and that she would outshine any son he would have had. Taking their advice seriously, Kulashekhara did everything in his power to transform Meenakshi into the finest warrior in his kingdom. Meenakshi took on her role with equal gravity. Soon her brave exploits became the stuff of legend. Her ambition to conquer the north drove her to Mt Kailash, Lord Shiva’s abode— where her uninterrupted rampage was brought to a halt on the battlefield by the Lord himself. On gazing upon his shining visage, as predicted by the gods, her third breast fell off— but nothing, not even this momentous miracle, could distract her now--- because she just could not take her eyes off him. It was literally love at first sight! The feeling, it appeared, was mutual. Pleased with the outcomes of the machinations of the deities, Lord Vishnu married the couple and showered them with many blessings. Shiva and Meenakshi chose to make Madurai their home.
The Meenakshi temple you visit today actually dates to the 16th/-17th century when the Nayak dynasty was in the ascendant. The stunning 15-storied temple is a vibrant kaleidoscope of rainbow colours. What shines out too are the 30,000 magnificent sculptures which are detailed and riveting in their splendour. Another breathtaking feature of the temple are the gopurams which stand out in the complex with its two principal shrines, of which each is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar.
What is quite interesting is that each night Lord Sundareshwarar visits the goddess in her temple, which also features a bedchamber located in a subsidiary shrine. Lord Sundareshwarar’s temple, apart from the linga, also has something known as Cokkar, a manifestation of the feet of the deity. When Shiva is said to visit Meenakshi at night, it is this Cokkar which is reverentially transported to her bedchamber, symbolising the union of these celestial beings as man and wife.
An unmissable attraction of the Meenakshi Temple complex is the 14 gopurams, which are the gateway to the shrines. Their ornamentation has been created with devotional frenzy by artisans of high calibre. The four principle Rajagopurams are progressively elevated starting from a height of 4550m; the southern gopuram is the tallest at 51.9 m. Richly sculpted in vibrant colours the figures range from deities and demons— to gargoyles and mounts used by the various deities.
Everything about the Meenakshi temple will blow you away, not the least being the extravagant use of artisanal beauty and skills from centuries ago. Chief amongst these splendours too is the humongous Aiyaram Kal Mandapa or Thousand Pillared Hall. Lavishly sculpted from end to end, each pillar is a creative narrative of deities, demons and sacred animals in their varied forms. This great assembly hall has now been transformed into a museum of sculptures, paintings and temple artefacts of rare vintage.
Do remember to take a ritual purification dip in Pottamarai Kulam or Golden Lotus Pond, before paying your respects to the deities in the sanctum sanctorum of both shrines. If you are here during the grand spectacle of the annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, you will understand how deeply the goddess is interwoven into the everyday world of Madurai's citizenry. An unmissable highpoint is colourful pageantry attending the chariot (ratha) festival held in April/May.