Tamil Nadu Temples

Garbarakshambigai Temple is an ancient temple in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. Goddess Garbharakshambika is a form of shakti who cures infertility in women and also blesses pregnant women with a safe delivery. ‘Garbha’ means Pregnancy, ‘Raksha’ means ‘To protect’ and ‘Ambigai’ is a name of Parvati.

Garbarakshambigai Temple
Temple Timings	5:30 am to 12:30 pm, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location	Tanjore, Tamil Nadu
Poojas	Pregnancy Ghee, Delivery Castor Oil
Deity	Garbarakshambika

What are the timings of Garbarakshambigai Temple?

Here are the timings of Garbarakshambigai Temple:

Ritual	Timings
Morning Darshan	5:30 am to 12:30 pm
Evening Darshan	4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Abhishekam	8:00 am to 8:30 am

What is the history of Garbarakshambigai Temple?

According to the history of Garbarakshambigai temple, sages Gowthama and Gargeya did penance in a garden of mullai flowers. Sage Nithuvar was living here with his wife Vedhika. Then, one day when Sage Nithuvar was away, sage Urdhvapada visited the garden. But Vedhika was asleep and didn’t show hospitality.

She was having pains due to pregnancy but Urdhvapada unaware of her difficulties got angry. He thought that she didn’t bother to wake up and hence, cursed her. The curse caused a lot of pain and she thought she would lose the child.

So, she prayed to Goddess Parvathi to help her. Goddess Parvati took the avatar of Garbarakshambigai and appeared before Vedhika. She protected the child in herwomb by holding it in a “kalasam ” – divine pot.  When Vedhika cried as she was not able to feed the baby with her milk, a sacred cow came in front of the temple and made a lake of sacred milk.

Vedhika prayed to Goddess Garbarakshambigai to remain in the temple forever and bless all women with their difficulties.

The temple is spread over a wide expanse with huge towering Gopurams and a beautiful water tank in front of it. The main sanctum of this temple has the Shiva lingam and Goddess Garbharakshambika is situated to the left of the Shiva temple. It is believed that the Nandi at this temple is in Swayambhu vigraham (Self manifested).

What is the significance of Garbarakshambigai Temple?

The significance of Garbarakshambigai temple is that the Shiva Lingam in the sanctum is  Swayambu, made up of ant hill mud. Therefore no water abhishekam is done for this idol. But, the Lingam is only pasted with Punugu. Devotees also believe that people with incurable diseases can offer “Punugu Chattam.”

Moreover, goddess Garbarakshambigai is the goddess of mercy to bless women with gift of childbirth and safe pregnancy. Hence, she is the supreme personality of Motherhood. Her beautiful idol is about 7 feet tall and has beautiful kanjeevaram sarees and exquisite jewellery.

What are the festivals celebrated at Garbarakshambigai Temple?

Some of the festivals celebrated at Garbaratchambigai temple are:

• Vaikasi Brahmotsavams: Vaikasi Brahmotsavam commenced in a grand manner at this temple. Amid Vedic chants and recitals of verses from scriptures, the priests perform the rituals in the temple. There are processions and large number of people participate in them.
• Navratri: Navarathri is celebrated for 10 days in the month Purattasi. Every year the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are the times when devotees worship the divine power during Navratri. The most important Navratri in a year is the Sharadiya Navratra.
• Margazhi utsavam: Margazhi festival is celebrated at all temples in Tamil Nadu and India. Mainly the celebrations of this festival take place in all Vishnu temples and Shiva temples. Another importance of margazhi is that devotees read Tamil Holy Scriptures “Thiruppavai” and “Thiruvempavai” during this month.
• Panguni Uthiram: Panguni Uthiram is a day of importance to Hindus especially those who belong to Tamil nadu. It falls on the day the moon transits in the asterism of Uttara-phalguni. The day connotes the wedding of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, Lord Muruga and Devasena and other celestial couples. According to Ramayana, it is also on this day that Sita married Rama. 
• Thirukkarthigai: Tamil Nadu celebrates Karthigai Deepam as the traditional festival. This festival of lights involves lighting lights almost anywhere to put an end to darkness. People believe that the light  will make people close with Lord Shiva on Karthigai Deepam. Lord Shiva will shed all his blessings during this special time of the year.

What are the Poojas and Rituals of Garbarakshambigai?

The poojas and rituals of Garbaratchambigai temple are:

• Women who come here to pray for pregnancy and childbirth just offer flowers and do archana for goddess. 
• Virgins who fail to find suitable grooms for a long time should come to this Garbarakshambigai temple in person. They should wash the steps with a little ghee draw ‘Kolam’ and perform Archana to the Goddess.
• The childless couples offer ghee at the feet of the Goddess Garbarakshambigai. They should consume a little of the ghee as prasad at night daily for about 48 days and the woman will conceive. 
• The women who are expecting deliveries should offer castor oil at the feet of Sri Garbarakshambigai. During labor pains, one should apply this oil on their abdomen and devotees believe that it removes all complications of deliveries.
• Kattalai Archanai takes place on the particular date of the stars and the temple sends prasadams on monthly basis. Pregnant women consume it during their pregnancy period. 
• Women light up eleven lamps and pray for the safe delivery. On performing the Garbarakshambigai Homa, childless couples attain parenthood and pregnant women undergo safe delivery.

How to reach Garbarakshambigai Temple?

Here’s how to reach Garbarakshambigai temple:

• Air: The nearest airport is in Trichy.
• Rail: The nearest railway station is the Papanasam railway station. 
• Road: Thirukarukavur is present on Thanjavur-Kumbakonam main road. Several buses ply between Papanasam and Saliyamangalam at 30 minutes interval.Papanasam is 25 kms from Thanjavur and then to Thirukarukavur 6 kms from Papanasam.

Where to stay near temple?

Some of the places where one can stay near Garbarakshambigai temple are:

• Hotel Simran Heritage Contact: Station Road, Moudhapara, Near Fafadih Chowk
• Hotel Pace Contact: 217, Pace City I, Sector 10A, Near Hero Honda Chowk
• Manyaa Hotels Contact: Khasra No. 500, Khandsa Chowk, Opposite Sector 10 A, Before Sector 37 Industrial Area
• Motel Melfort Contact: Raj Nagar, Near Delhi Jaipur Highway, Raj Nagar Mod
• Gautam Retreat Contact: M-200, South City I, Behind Unitech House

What are some temples nearby?

Some of the temples near Garbarakshambigai temple are:

• Brihadeeswarar Temple: Thanjavur Brihadeeswara temple is one of the most ancient temple, situated in the city of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, India. The complex that houses the main sanctum is popular as the ‘Periya Kovil’. Thanjavur had the distinction of specifically being a religious city with the temple in the centre.
• Gangaikonda Cholapuram: The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Shiva. The temple is famous for having the biggest Shivalingam, with a 4 meter Lingam in South India. The majestic entrance of the sanctum has beautiful image of Goddess Saraswathi. 
• Darasuram Temple: Raja Raja Chola built this temple for Lord Siva, and it is either famous as Drasuram temple or Airavateswara Temple. The main mandapam of this temple is in the form of a chariot with horses. The steps are stones, which give different musical sounds when people tap them. 
• Tirumanancheri Temple: This temple is quite famous among the devotees from the Hindu community who wish to find suitable life partners for marriage or in order to overcome. All times are auspicious since Lord Shiva and Parvathy are in a bliss here always. The shrine of Thirumananjeri is has close relation with legends that tell the story of Shiva’s marriage to Parvati.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple is located on the banks of the legendary River Vaigai in Tamil Nadu. The presiding deity of the Temple is Goddess Meenakshi (Goddess Parvati) and her consort Lord Sundareshwara (Lord Shiva). Initially, Lord Sundareshwara was worshiped as the primary deity. However, in time, the importance shifted to worshiping Meenakshi as the primary deity.

Such is the love and devotion of people towards the Goddess that no one who visits the city even thinks about leaving it without seeking her blessings.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Facts-

Deity	Goddess Meenakshi (Goddess Parvati)
Location	Madurai City, Tamil Nadu
Darshan Timings	5:00 AM to 12:30 PM || 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Entry Fee	General Darshan: Free.
Significance	One of the oldest and the largest temples of India
Architecture	Dravidian style
Dress Code	Traditional wear
Best Time to Visit	September to February
Photography	Not Allowed
Parking	Free
Festivals	Avanimoola festival, Masi Mandala festival, Chitra festival, Navarathri cultural festival and Float festival

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Timings

Darshan Schedule	Timings
Morning Timings	5:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Evening Timings	4:00 PM to 9:30 PM

• The devotees can choose to have a free darshan or a paid darshan depending on the crowd. Special darshan tickets are available at Rupees Fifty and Rupees Hundred.
• Persons with disabilities and their one companion will be allowed to have darshan through a special entrance.

Timings of Daily Poojas and Rituals of Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Poojas and Rituals	Timings
Thiruvanandal Pooja	05:00 AM – 06:00 AM
Vizha Pooja	06:30 AM – 07: 15 AM
Kalasandhi Pooja	06:30 AM – 07: 15 AM
Thrikalasandhi Pooja	10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Uchikkala Pooja (Noon Pooja)	10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Maalai Pooja	04:30 PM – 05:15 PM
Ardhajama Pooja (Night Pooja)	07:30 PM – 08:15 PM
Palliarai Pooja	09:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Details of different Poojas and Rituals of Madurai Meenakshi Temple

• The daily ritual of worship includes Pooja eight times a day. Each Pooja consists of Abhishekam of the deities, Alangaram (decoration with ornaments), Naivedyam (offering of food) and Deepa Aradanai (Aarti with lamps).
• Thiruvanandal Pooja – This is the first Pooja of the day and begins at 5 AM. The deities are bathed as per ritual and then dressed up in decorative ornaments. The morning Aarti is performed.
• Vizha Pooja and the Kalasandhi Pooja – These Poojas comprising of Abhishekam and Aarti takes place between 6:30 AM to 7:15 AM.
• Thrikalasandhi Pooja and the Uchikkala Pooja – These Poojas begin at 10:30 AM and continue till 11:15 AM.
• Maalai Pooja (Evening Aarti) – This ritual can be observed between 4:30 PM till 5:15 PM.
• Ardhajama Pooja – The night Aarti takes place at 7:30 PM and the Naivedyam ends at 8:15 PM.
• Palliarai Pooja – The last Pooja of the day starts at 9:15 PM. This is a special Pooja where the idol of Lord Shiva is taken around in a palanquin to the sanctum of Goddess Meenakshi and both are put to rest for the day.
• Annadanam – The Madurai Meenakshi Temple authorities allow Annadanam to be conducted on request of the devotees at the rate of Rupees Four Thousand per two hundred persons.

Madurai Meenakshi  Temple Dress Code

Men and women with exposed shoulders and legs are not allowed to enter the Madurai Meenakshi Temple premises. The main sanctums of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara are open to only Hindus. However, visitors can view the Mandapams and the other architectural features of the Temple.

Significance of Madurai Meenakshi Temple

The idol of Shri Meenakshi Amman is made of greenish-black stone. The Linga of Lord Sundareshwara is believed to be one of the 68 Swayambhu Lingas worshiped in India. The Swayambhu Lingas are believed to be the representations of Lord Shiva. The Linga is supported by 64 Bhootaganas, 32 Lions, and 8 Elephants.

The Madurai Meenakshi Temple is one of the Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal of Lord Nataraja, a form of Lord Shiva. Lord Nataraja is referred to as the form of Lord Shiva when he performs the different forms of Cosmic Dance. These five Sthalas or places represent the different forms of cosmic dance performed by Lord Nataraja.

• They are symbolized in sculptures depicting the respective postures and made out of precious elements. The sculpture of Lord Nataraja worshiped at the Madurai Meenakshi Temple is called “Velli Ambalam Natarajar” and it is made of “Velli” meaning “Silver”.
• The uniqueness of this representation is that Lord Nataraja is shown with his right leg raised instead of the usual left leg as represented in the other depictions.
• The name Meenakshi can be split into “Meen” meaning Fish and “Akshi” meaning Eyes, thus giving the meaning as the “Lady with the Eyes of a Fish”.
• The other four Temples with such unique sculptures are located in Chidambaram (Gold), Thiruvalangadu (Emerald), Tirunelveli (Copper) and Coutrallam (Art).
• The Porthamarai Kulam, meaning the “Pond with the Golden Lotus” is the name given to the sacred Madurai Meenakshi Temple Tank. It is also called as Adi Theertham, Shiva Ganga, Utthama Theertham, Gnana Theertham, and Mukthi Theertham.
• It was believed in ancient times that the worthiness of any new literature can be judged by placing the book on the surface of the tank. The poor quality literature would sink while the scholastic ones would remain afloat.
• Madurai Meenakshi Temple forms a part of the new top 30 wonders of the World and was a nominee for the “New Seven Wonders of the World”.
• A huge Ganapathi idol is worshiped just outside the sanctum of Goddess Meenakshi. This idol is supposed to be at least 1500 years ago.
• As one comes out of the sanctum of Goddess Meenakshi, one must look up to the ceiling to see a recently painted 3-Dimensional image of Lord Shiva’s Linga.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple History

The present structure of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple Complex was built by the Nayakars of Madurai, especially during the reign of King Thirumalai Nayakar in the 15th century. The original Madurai Meenakshi Temple is believed to have been constructed sometime during the late 6th to an early 7th century by the Pandya King Kulashekhara.

• This is evident by the works of the Tamil Saint Thirugnanasambandar who has sung praises of the deity and the Madurai Meenakshi Temple in his work that dates back to the seventh century.

In the 14th century, there arose an internal disharmony over the succession to the throne after the downfall of the Pandyas dynasty. Taking advantage of the dispute, Ala-ud-din Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate sent his general Malik Kafur in 1310 to invade Madurai.

When he reached Madurai, he pulled down the Temple towers and destroyed several sculptures and historical records. However, the main shrine of Meenakshi Amman and Sundareshwara were left intact. This incident led to the beginning of the spread of Islam in southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu.

The Madurai Meenakshi Temple was then expanded into its current state under the reign of Thirumalai Nayak during 1623 – 1655.

• He was responsible for the construction of several mandapams inside the Madurai Meenakshi Temple complex, especially the Vasantha Mandapam and the Kilikoondu Mandapam (Corridor of Parrots).

• The corridors of the pristine Madurai Meenakshi Temple tank, as well as the Meenakshi Nayakar Mandapam, were built by the famous and brave Rani Mangammal, one of the very few Women rulers of Ancient India.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Legends

According to the legends, the Pandyan King Malayadhwaja, and his queen Kanchanamala were childless and performed “Putra Kameshti Yagna” for a child. Lord Shiva was appeased and requested Goddess Parvati to be born to them. She obliged and arose from the sacrificial fire as a little girl with three breasts.

The king was worried but was assured by the Lord that the third breast will disappear once she meets her match. The girl was named Taadanthagai and was brought up as a princess. At the time of her coronation, she waged war against the three holy kingdoms of Sathyaloka (Brahma’s abode), Vaikunta (Vishnu’s abode) and Amravati (Devas’s abode).

After defeating them all, when she reached Kailash to defeat Lord Shiva, she stopped as she realized that Lord Shiva was her divine companion. Her third breast disappeared at the spot. She realized that she was the avatar of Goddess Parvati. It was decided that they will marry and rule the city of Madurai together.

On the day of the marriage, Lord Shiva came to the wedding ceremony without anyone accompanying him except a dwarf named Gundodara. Meenakshi was surprised and haughtily remarked that all the wedding arrangements will be wasted as there were not many attendees on behalf of the bridegroom.

Lord Shiva challenged them to fulfill the needs of the dwarf. The king fed the dwarf everything from the wedding kitchen as well as every dish prepared in the city that day, but the dwarf could not be satisfied. When there was nothing else left to eat, he demanded water to quench his thirst. The city’s water supply was exhausted.

• Goddess Annapoorneshwari recommended that only Ganga would satisfy his thirst. Lord Shiva summoned River Ganga to flow and directed the river to flow through the city. The river was eventually named as Vaigai.

The marriage was a divine occurrence and was attended by all the Gods and the Goddesses. Lord Vishnu was supposed to attend the event but was delayed by Indra. Angered, he left to Alagar Kovil but was eventually convinced by Lord Shiva. The event is described as Alagar Thiruvila and is still celebrated.

• After the marriage, both Lord Shiva and Goddess Meenakshi ruled Madurai for a period of time before returning to Kailash.

As per another legend, a Lotus-shaped city was built by the Pandyan King Kulasekhara around the Shiva Linga (Sundareshwara) worshiped by Lord Indra. It is believed that Lord Shiva was impressed by his devotion and blessed him.

• During the blessing, nectar dripped from his locks of hair and fell on the Earth. As a result, the city came to be known as Madhurapuri, Madhu meaning Honey. With the passage of time, the name became Madurai.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Architecture

Madurai Meenakshi Temple is one of the epitomes of the Dravidian style of architecture. Madurai Meenakshi Temple is considered as the city center of the 2500-year-old ancient city. Ancient records show that the Madurai Meenakshi Temple was the center of the city from which the streets arose and spread in all directions. 

• The Madurai Meenakshi Temple has been glorified in the revered Tevaram, a 7th-century work by the three Saivite Nayanars, Appar, Sundarar, and Thirugnanasambandar.

A unique fact that can be observed about the placement of shrines is that the shrine of Lord Sundareshwara is exactly one-fourth of the total area of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. The shrine of Goddess Meenakshi is exactly one-fourth of the area of Lord Sundareshwara’s shrine. This might indicate that in the earlier times, Lord Shiva was given ritualistic importance over Goddess Meenakshi.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Temple has four main entrances, one in each cardinal direction. The four Gopurams of each of the main entrances are intricately carved depiction sculptures of several Gods and Goddesses, holy animals and even demons.

• The tallest Gopuram among them is the South Tower (built-in 1559)at a height of 170 feet (52 m).
• The oldest among them is the East tower built-in 1238. The shrines of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara are covered on top by a golden Vimanam or a Shikhara.
• The ceilings of the inner corridors are colorfully painted and provide a beautiful visual experience. It is estimated that around 33,000 exquisite sculptures are found in the Madurai Meenakshi Temple complex.
• Goddess Meenakshi can be distinctly identified because she is always represented as a graceful lady wearing a green saree holding a Parrot in her right hand.

Festivals celebrated at Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Chitthirai Brahmotsavam or Arulmigu Thirukalyanam – The grand festival of the wedding between Lord Sundareshwara and Goddess Meenakshi is celebrated for a period of 12 days in the month of Chitthirai (April).

• The festival begins with the flag hoisting on the Dhwajasthamba as an invitation to all the Gods and Goddesses to attend the celebrations.
• The Pattabhishekam (Coronation) of Goddess Meenakshi takes place on the 8th day of the festival.
• The Dikvijayam procession begins on the 9th day signifying the victories of the Goddess until she reached Kailash.
• The tenth day is celebrated as the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam. Thousands of pilgrims gather at the temple premises to witness the divine moment.
• The Ther or the Rath Yatra of the deities begins on the next day. The gigantic and decorated chariots are pulled by thousands of ardent devotees and taken around the streets of the temple.
• Lord Alagar is also worshiped on the banks of the Vaigai river where he halted to bestow gifts to the deities.

Aavani festival – The important festival is celebrated for 18 days during the month of Aavani (August). This marks the event of the coronation of Lord Sundareshwara as the King of Madurai.

• The first six days of the festival are dedicated to Lord Chandrashekhar.
• The coronation takes place on the seventh day.
• The ritual of Tirupparakundram Subramanya and Thiruvadhavur Manickavasaka Perumal bidding farewell takes place on a ninth day.

Navarathri – The festival dedicated to Goddess Amman is celebrated in a grand manner for ten days. The idol of the Amman deity is decorated in a different manner on all the nine days and her blessings are sought by thousands of pilgrims.

• The “Kolu” is arranged in the “Kolu Mandapam”. Kolu is the unique way of celebrating Navarathri, especially in Tamil Nadu in which several idols of the Gods, Goddesses, and their creations are kept in several steps and worshiped.
• Kalpa Pooja and Laksharchana are performed for the Goddess every day. The Madurai Meenakshi Temple premises are lit with lamps throughout. Several cultural festivals are held in the temple premises.

Teppotsavam – The float festival is annually held in the city during the Tamil month of “Thai” which happens in January. The idols of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwara are taken around in a grand procession in the waters of the famous Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam.

• On this special day, the idols are taken to the banks of the Teppakulam and kept on the Mandap near its banks. The devotee’s queue in miles to have a darshan.
• The idols are then kept on a raft and pulled by hundreds of men and women, who pull the raft amidst cheers to the deities.
• The Gopurams of the temples are lit up in the evening followed by the fireworks display which marks the end of the day’s proceedings.
• The idols of the deities are then taken back to the Madurai Meenakshi Temple with great enthusiasm.

Some of the other major festivals celebrated at the Madurai Meenakshi Temple are the Maasi Mandala festival in February, Kanda Shashti in November, Deepavali, Oonjal festival, Aadi Moolaikottu festival, Vasanthotsavam, Arudhra Darshanam, Thiruvenbavai, and Thiruppavai festival.

How to reach Madurai Meenakshi Temple

• By Air – The nearest airport is the Madurai International Airport. The city is well serviced by flights connecting major cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru. The airport also connects flights internationally to cities like Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo.
• By Train – The Madurai Junction is well connected to several important cities in India like Chennai, Trivandrum, Cochin, New Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Kolkata, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Goa and many more. Several trains connect Madurai internally to other major towns like Tiruchi, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil, Tuticorin, Karaikudi, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Tanjore and Coimbatore.
• By Road – The city is well connected to all major cities in Tamil Nadu as well as the neighboring states. Several private bus operators also operate regular buses to the holy city until late midnight. The roads are clean and well-constructed.

Where to stay in Madurai

• The city provides a large number of options for stay ranging from five-star accommodation to low-cost lodges and hotels.
• The Germanus Hotel, Supreme Hotel, and the Meenakshi Inn are some of the hotels preferred by the visiting tourists.

Where to eat in Madurai

The city of Madurai is called “Thoonganagaram” meaning “the City that never sleeps”. It is a fact that the city offers unparalleled culinary delights to everyone who visits the city throughout the day and the night.

• Some of the must-tries among the food items are the roadside Kotthu Parathas, Jigarthanda drink, Badam Halwa, Curry Dosa, Idly, and Biryani.
• Some of the popular hotels that one must visit according to the locals are Amma Mess, Muniyandi Vilas, Simmakal Konar Kadai, and Murugan Idly Kadai.

Temples near Madurai Meenakshi-

• Thirupparakunram Murugan Temple – It is considered as the first among the six abodes of Lord Murugan, also known as Lord Karthikeya. The Temple Complex consists of several rock-cut caves that house the deities, Lord Karthikeya, Lord Vishnu. Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, and Lord Vinayaka.

• Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple – The sacred shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan is located 25 km away from Madurai city. This Temple is one of the holy six abodes of Lord Murugan. The main shrine is located beside a stream called “Nupura Gangai”. Several popular local legends are associated with the Temple.

• Alagar Kovil – The sacred temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is located just 20 km away from the Madurai city. The temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu mentioned in the Divya Prabandha, a work by the Azhwar Saints in the 6th to 9th centuries.

• Vandiyur Mariamman Temple – This unique but mesmerizing temple is situated about 3 km away from the Meenakshi Amman Temple. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman and Goddess Durga who merge together into a single form and worshiped here as Goddess Ambika – Durga or popularly as Durga-Mariamman.

• Yoga Narasimha Perumal Temple – The Temple has located 8 km from the city of Madurai in Otthakadai. The village of Narasingam is home to the ancient temple situated at the foot of the Yanaimalai hills. The Temple is more than 1300 years old as the date of construction around the main deity is believed to be 770 AD.

• Thirumohoor Chakrathalvar Temple – This legendary temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is 12 km away from Madurai city towards Melur. This Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams that is glorified in the Divya Prabandha composed by the Tamil Saints Alwars from the 6th to the 8th century. The deity is worshiped as Neelamegha Perumal and Lakshmi as Tirukannapura Nayaki.

Other famous temples in Tamil Nadu are:

• Nagercoil Nagaraja Temple: Situated nearby Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, this Hindu temple is famous for its worshipping of the King of Serpents or Nagaraja – Vasuki. Also, Nagercoil town derives its name from this very temple. This temple also has a huge number of naga statues from all over India.
• Thirunageswaram Temple: Sri Naganathaswamy Temple or Rahu Sthalam in Tamil Nadu is one of the 9 Navagraha Temples and is dedicated to Rahu. The presiding deity is Lord Naganathaswamy. The shrine is adjacent to Naganathaswamy’s shrine and GiriGujambika with Lakshmi and Saraswathy by her side has a separate temple.

Frequently Asked Questions