Madurai

Madurai, also Mathurai, formerly Madura, city in India, in the state of Tamil Nādu, on the Vaigai River, south of Chennai (formerly Madras). It is an important center for the production of silk and cotton textiles, chemicals, and sugar. Several colleges, including an American college, are located in the city; they are all affiliated with the University of Madras. Long a center of Tamil culture and arts, Madurai is widely renowned for its literary tradition and its many superb examples of Dravidian architecture. The city’s most famous structure is the remarkable temple dedicated to Shiva’s consort Minakshi. Construction of the Minakshi Temple started in the 14th century and took 400 years to complete. The temple is an extensive complex of towers, pillars, and shrines, lavishly decorated with intricate carvings. This sacred site draws great numbers of pilgrims from throughout India.

According to legend, Madurai marks the site where drops of nectar fell to the earth from the Hindu deity Shiva’s hair, hence its original name Madhuram, or Nectar City. In keeping with its origins, the city evolved into an important religious and cultural center in southern India. The city first came to prominence in the 6th century bc. From the 4th to the 11th century ad, Madurai was the capital of the Pandya Kingdom, interrupted by a period of rule by Chola emperors. The city was later governed by a succession of Vijayanagar, Islamic, Maratha, Nayak, and British conquerors. During the mid-20th century, India’s national independence movement reached a flash point in Madurai. This is commemorated today by the Gandhi Museum, housed in the 300-year-old palace of Rani Mangammal. Population 1,194,665 (2001).