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Madurai, the city of temples, possesses a lot of heritage and history of Tamilnadu. The adage in Tamilnadu is that if someone fights bravely, he would be tagged as “Madurai Veeran” which means a brave man, whose strength is as strong and brave as a Madurai man. Due to its unique history and traditions, it stands out among all other districts.
Formation of Cities
The fragrance of jasmine flowers welcomes you into the town of Madurai. Girls in traditional sarees, men in dhotis that stretch up to the knees, and the Madurai mustache style are something one cannot miss. The mustache is seen as representing the bravery of Tamilian men. The streets are dedicated to temples, either small or famous. With a bit of hot weather, you can enjoy the old city with the luscious Madurai Jigardhanda, a pride cold beverage of Madurai that chills you!
According to the legend, Madurai was once a forest, named Kadambavanam, that lay on the banks of River Vaigai. One day, when a farmer named Dhanajaya, passed through the forest, he saw Lord Indra, who was worshipping the Swayambhulingam (self-manifested form). Seeing him worship the Swayambhulingam under a Kadambam tree, the farmer rushed to the Pandya king Kulsekarar and reported the incident. This pious king immediately ordered a temple around this lingam. Today, it is known as the world-famous Meenakshi Amman Temple. The king then created a beautiful city in the shape of a lotus, surrounding the temple.
On the day of naming the created city, Lord Shiva who himself performed his sixty-four Thiruvilayadals in Madurai, appeared and blessed it. The nectar, which was called Madhu spilled on the city from his tangled hair lock, Madurai. This old city was even mentioned in great epics like the Ramayana and Kautilya’s Arthasasthra.
One of the masterpieces of Tamil literature is Silappadikaram, where the major events of the plot took place in Madurai during the Pandya era. The chief character, Kannagi, cursed Madurai to be burnt to avenge the Pandya Nendunj Chezhiya king who did injustice to her by mistake. Another book, Maduraikkanchi talked about the importance of Madurai as the capital city of the Pandya empire.
Apart from the Pandyas, Madurai was tossed among different rulers, and one such famous king was Thirumalai Nayak of the 17th century. His contribution to the city was enormous. Architecture was one of the major fields that grew during his time. Though the Pandya king raised the temple for the Swayambulingam, it was the Nayakas who built the Rajagopuram of Meenakshi Amman temple. He also built Pudhu Mandavam and Thirumalai Nayakar’s palace which are living monuments to his artistic ardor.
In 1801, Britishers took over Madurai directly from the Nayakas. Donations from the Britishers to the temple and to administer the city were made every year. This city was surrounded by seven hills, and the major ones were Annamalai, Pasumalai, and Nagamalai. After the 1980s, Madurai was bifurcated into Madurai, Dhindugal, and Theni.
Madurai has many special names, like Koodal nagaram (City of Junctions), Malligai maanagar (City of Jasmine), Koil maanagar (Temple City), Thoonga nagaram (a city that never sleeps), and Naanmada koodal (junction of four towers of Meenakshi Amman Temple). The city's beauty and charm are endless like the generosity and kindness of its people.
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