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Madurai Travel Essentials

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"The Lotus City"

Madurai Tourism

Madurai, the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of India. Ruled by Pandya kings for the longest time in its history, it is called as the 'Lotus City' as it was planned and built in the shape of a lotus. Madurai is known for Meenakshi Amman Temple, dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi with a sanctum for her consort, Sundareshwarar.

There are many other ancient temples in Madurai, including Thiruparankundram. It is one of the important old temples dedicated to Lord Muruga(Karthikeya) and is located on a hillock approximately 8 km from the city. Having trade ties with ancient Rome, the place holds a great cultural heritage. With bustling bazaars and fantastic street food, Madurai has heritage walks conducted throughout the day. Madurai is instrumental in promoting Tamil language and preserving the culture.

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal

Vaigai Dam

Alagar Koil

Meghamalai

Samanar Hills

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Madurai Travel Packages

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4 Days / 3 Nights

Madurai , Rameswaram & Kanyakumari Religious Tour Package

$144 per adult on twin sharing

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7 Days / 6 Nights

Tamil Nadu Temple Tour Package

$306 per adult on twin sharing

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11 Days / 10 Nights

Alleppey Houseboat Package With Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari

$644 per adult on twin sharing

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16 Days / 15 Nights

Tamil Nadu Temple Tour Package

$668 per adult on twin sharing

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10 Days / 9 Nights

10 Days Tamil Nadu Temple & Beach Tour

$505 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Trivandrum, Kanyakumari Rameswaram & Madurai

$212 per adult on twin sharing

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Madurai - The Temple City

The city has more than 10 major temples and over 20 smaller ones. Ideal for a pilgrimage. Temples built in different dynasties like the Cholas, Pandyas and Nayaks are found here. The Meenakshi Amman temple is the most famous one. Not only are they spiritual centres, they are examples of magnificent architecture.

Architecture of Madurai

Built around the central location of Meenakshi Amman Temple, the city imparts aesthetics of architecture in all its establishments. In Tamil Classic records, the temple is portrayed as the central formation of a lotus where the concrete roads connecting the rest of the city are denoted as its petal. One can observe the detailed structural design in many of its buildings, pilgrims, temples and community halls which were developed during the colonial era. An aerial view of the city shows the quadrangular streets emerging from the temple boundary, dividing the city into several square-shaped regions. Each of these squares retains their traditional name of Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi corresponding to the Tamil names of months and festivals associated with it. The 19th-century urbanisation is evident in the colonial buildings, fringe streets and random scribblings or marks made all over the city as a mark of its history.

Etymology

The city derived its name from the word Marutham which alludes to the type of landscape in Sangam age. It is also known by various other names such as "Koodal" which means an assembly of scholarly people, "Naanmadakoodal" for the four major temples the city is surrounded by "Thiru Alavai", a name used by three prominent Narayana's who inscribed compositions on Shiva. The word ‘Matiray’ has also been used in several documentations which refers to an old Tamil word meaning ‘walled city’.

History of Madurai

The city of Madurai is engraved with a glorious history which dates back to the Sangam period of pre - Christian era, a time when Megasthenes visited the place in 3rd century BC. A swift fragrance of restoration surrounds the air of this present day trading centre, glorifying its demolished structures. According to Sangam literature, this place used to be the capital of Pandyan dynasty. Roman historians Ptolemy, Pliny the Younger and Greek geographer Strabo have mentioned this place in their respective works. The end of Sangam age brought Madurai under the rule of Kalabhra dynasty who were defeated by Pandyas around 590 CE who was overthrown by Chola dynasty in the 9th century. In 1378 CE the city came under the ruling of Vijayanagara and became independent in 1559 CE under the Nayaks. In 1801, the city was under the regime of East India Company which caused the independence movement to start in the region. Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom march in Madurai and is said to have adopted his loin clothing starting from this city.

Restaurants and Local Food in Madurai

Madurai is often referred to as the food capital of Tamil Nadu, given the huge variety in styles, cuisines, genres and sizes that it offers. In Madurai, you can taste the most authentic of traditional delicacies as well as indulge in fast food, Bengali, Italian, Chinese and North-Indian cuisines. Also, the food is lip smacking all though its streets to the elaborate restaurants.
The local delicacies include Paruthi paal, jigarthanda, panangkarkandu paal and chettinadu varieties like appam, kuzhi paniyaram, etc. as well as beverages like Paruthi, Jigarthanda as well as the popular Filter coffee . Other than these, find local favorites from all over Bengal Fish curry, Pizzas, Chaats, Fish and Chips, Gulab Jamuns, Samosas, Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and lots more.
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Suggested Itinerary for Madurai

Day 1 - Reach Madurai by morning - noon. Have authentic South Indian breakfast/lunch . Visit the Thirumalai Nayakar Palace in the evening. Do try out the immensely popular Jigarthanda, which is a South Indian version of falooda.
Day 2 - Visit the Koodal Alagar temple, St.Mary's Cathedral and other major places of worship. Have a South Indian thali meal for lunch. Visit the Meenakshi Amman temple in the afternoon. All temples are extremely crowded during the weekends. Try the delicious kothu parotta for dinner.
Day 3 - Try to visit Pazhamudhircholai ( one of the 6 abodes of Lord Muruga ) if possible. Check out the Vaigai Dam. Experience the evening market in the city.

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Meenakshi Amman Kovil - One of the Most Famous Temple in South India

Holy Pond Kalyani in the Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Koodal Azhagar Temple - Dedicated to Lord Vishnu the Temple is Built in the Dravidian Style Architecture

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FAQs on Madurai

What is the best way to reach Madurai?

Main modes of transport for travelers are by air and by train. Madurai has a domestic airport which has daily flights to Madras.Madurai is also well connected by trains to major cities of India like Chennai , Bangalore, Mumbai , and Delhi. The city is also well connected by buses to all major cities in Tamil Nadu via state government operated and private buses. Buses also commute from important cities in the neighboring states of Kerala and Karnataka(Bangalore, Mysore). One can choose between A/C and non A/C semi luxury buses.
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What are the places near Madurai?

The top places near to Madurai are Kodaikanal which is 77 km from Madurai, Munnar which is located 117 km from Madurai, Sirumalai which is located 32 km from Madurai, Ooty which is located 227 km from Madurai, Palani which is located 88 km from Madurai

What are the things to do in Madurai?

The top things to do in Madurai are Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Vaigai Dam, Alagar Koil, Meghamalai, Samanar Hills. You can see all the places to visit in Madurai here

What is the local food in Madurai?

What is the best time to visit Madurai?

October to March is the best time to visit Madurai. With a hot and dry climate for most of the year, Madurai is best visited during the winter season. The town is known for its ancient temples and other architectural and religious masterpieces and receives a generous crowd of people throughout the year. Madurai is the most fascinating and welcoming during the months between October and March which coincides with its winter season.

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Who should visit Madurai?

Those want to go on a pilgrimage, people interested in architecture and foodies.

What is not so good about Madurai?

The public transport system is unreliable. Language may prove to be a barrier as the locals do not speak Hindi and rarely speak English.

What is famous about Madurai?

Breath-taking temples and monuments. Scrumptious cuisine . The locals are extremely helpful and hospitable.

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Madurai Reviews

Your rating

gayetri subba

on Meenakshi Amman Temple 6 years ago

A must place to visit if you are near my Madurai...temple is located in the heart of the city, darshan timings are from 0430 to 1230 hrs then 1630 to 2130 hrs, you are not allowed to take your shoes (Read More)n mobiles n cameras which you can submit outside the temple counter after paying some minimum fee which is safe. No dress code as such. For Darshana, there are three queues... ordinary, rupees 50 and rupees 100.

Jay Kumar

2 years ago

Awesome Experience, Divine feeling....Quite organised and safe too!! Tasty food, Good for shopping, especially for shopping Sarees and Gold ornaments. Still got the Indian culture intact and people s (Read More)eem to be quite educated and decent too. Medical facilities are good too. Hope it keeps the Indian culture intact, should not spoil the culture due to

Yoghi Rajendran

6 years ago

Temple city?? Best travel through own vehicles... culture City Must taste coffee... ??

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"The Lotus City"

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Madurai , Rameswaram & Kanyakumari Religious Tour Package

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Alleppey Houseboat Package With Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari

Tamil Nadu Temple Tour Package

10 Days Tamil Nadu Temple & Beach Tour

Trivandrum, Kanyakumari Rameswaram & Madurai

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Top Food and Dinning Collection in Madurai

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Madurai - The Temple City

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Best Time to Visit Madurai

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