The city gets its name from Nectar of flowers (Madhu). It is popular for its jasmine flowers. Madurai is among the great temple towns of Southern India. It is very popular for its fascinating Meenakshi Temple. This city is situated at the banks of river Vaigai. This place has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era, more than 2500 years old. Even in the old times, around 540 AD, Madurai used to be a significant commercial and cultural hub. It was the capital of the great Pandya Kings. The Pandya King ‘Kulsekaran’ built the huge temple and created a lotus shaped city surrounding it.
Best For:
Beautifully decorated temples
Vanditur Mariamman Teppakulam
Madurai has warm climate. The temperature ranges from 37.5°C to 26.5°C in the summers and 30°C to 20°C in the winters. The rains fall between October and December. It receives an average rainfall of around 85cms.
The best to be in Madurai is from November to February in the winters when the climate is cooler and comfortable to move around and enjoy the place. Though the winters are only a namesake, it becomes a little more enjoyable than the summers when it’s quite hot.
Few good hotels in Madurai accept international credit cards. There are few ATMs in the city. It is best to carry cash to this place. There are some moneychangers located, but it is preferable to carry Indian currency.
No permits are required to travel to Madurai. Just a visa to India is all what is needed.
The city sports its own airport which is 10km away and well connected with daily flights to Bangalore, ChennaiCoimbatore and Trichy.
By Air: The city has its own airport which is 10km far and well connected with daily flights to major cities of India.
By Rail: Madurai also is a major railway junction of Southern Railway and connected directly to Chennai and Tirunelveli.
By Road: Madurai also has a well managed network of roads connecting the city to all parts of India. Madurai offers 5 Major Bus stands which you can use to get a bus to other places.
· Shri Meenakshi Temple – It is a huge temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was originally built by the great Pandya King ‘Kulsekaran’ but the credit of its splendor and magnificence goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai between 16th and 18th Century.
· Thirumalai Nayak Palace – about 1.5 km away from Meenakshi Temple, this is a magnificient Palace built by the king ‘Thirumalai Nayak’ with the help of an Italian Architect.
· Thirupparankundram Temple – Around 8 km south from the Madurai railway junction, you would find this wonderful temple. The temple here is one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya. Its innermost shrine is cut out of a solid rock.
· Alagar Koil – This is a Vishnu temple dedicated to Lord Alagar, It is located 21 km north east of Madurai on a hill surrounded by panoramic scenes.
· Mariamman Teppakulam – spread over a huge area of over 15 acres, Mariamman Teppakulam is a beautiful square tank located about 5Kms East of Meenakshi Temple. The tank looks wonderful when decorated with lights in the festival held in Jan & Feb to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak.
Where To Eat:
Madurai is popular for its usual south-Indian cuisines like Idli, dosa, uttapam and rasam. You would also find delicacies from Chettinad district like Appam and Idiyappam which largely contain rice and coconut milk. You can eat at various local restaurants which have a lot to serve or you may also try numerous roadside stalls which offer delicious food.
Where To Stay:
Madurai has a large variety of hotels, and you can choose among the huge options to suit best your budget and style. Popular hotels include Hotel Fortune Pandiyan, Germanus Days Inn, Hotel Park Plaza, Hotel Royal Court, Taj Garden Retreat, Hotel Sangam, Samrat & Supreme.
