Madurai is a city in Tamil Nadu well known for the Meenakshi temple and the other temples built in the Dravidian style of architecture. It is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre. The temple has remarkable structures both inside and outside.
Koodal Alagar temple, thiruparankudram. Alagar temple, Pazhmudhir solai are some of the other well known temples. Thiruppanrankundram dargah, Kazimar Big Mosque and Gorippalayam Dargah are well liked by the Muslim religious visitors.
Madurai has a well recorded history with the city finding mention in various ancient accounts, from Megasthenes accounts to Kautilya's Arthashastra and in the works of Ptolemy.
Madurai was home to the last Tamil Sangam after which it came under the rule of the Kalabhras dynasty followed by the Pandyas and eventually the Chola dynasty during the 9th century. Madurai became the capital of the second Pandyan Empire in the 13th century before coming under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate after the death of Kulasekara Pandian the last Pandyan ruler. Eventually Madurai Sultanate started to function as an independent kingdom before being destroyed by the Vijayanagar Empire in 1378. In 1559 Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar under the Nayaks whose rule ended in 1736 and Madurai then went through several rulers till the British took control of Madurai in 1801 and thereby making it a part of the Madras Presidency. Madurai was constituted as a municipality in 1866.
Madurai is very well connected with the rest of the country by air, rail and road. Madurai Airport, located 12 kilometers from the city offers air connectivity to all major Indian cities.
Madurai Junction is one of the biggest junctions in the Southern Railway and is connected by trains to most major Indian cities.
By road, Madurai is well connected with many places across south India and connected by National Highways NH 7, NH 45B, NH 208 and NH 49.
Madurai is a temple city with many historical attractions. The Meenakshi Temple is the most famous attraction of Madurai. The temple dedicated to goddess Meenakshi is one of the most visited shrines in India.
Koodal Azhagar Temple, Pazhamudhir Solai temple, Goripalayam Dargah and Thiruparankundram Temple are some other famous places of worship in the city.
Some minds improve by travel, others, rather, resemble copper wire, or brass, which get the narrower by going farther.