The Meenakshi Ammal is a historic Hindu temple located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi or Fish-eyed Goddess). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai, home of the Tamil language.
According to Hindu legends, Lord Shiva, in the form of Sundareswarar, with his divine group of followers, appeared here in Madurai, to marry Pandya King Malayadwaja Pandya's daughter, Meenakshi is believed to be an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Parvati. This temple is one of the most sacred abodes of Parvati, others being Kamakshi of Kanchipuram, Akilandeswari of Thiruvanaikaval and Vishalakshi of Varanasi.
The temple has a stunning architecture and it was a frontrunner in the election for the modern Seven Wonders of the World for its architectural importance.
The inner sanctum sanctorum is more than 3500 years old, and the outer walls and external construction are about 1500-2000 years old. This famous Hindu marquee and a dancing form of Shiva that normally has his left foot raised, has his right foot raised in this temple. According to the legend, this is on the request of the Rajasekara Pandya king who asked the Lord to change his position, as he felt that always keeping a single foot raised will pose enormous stress on that foot, based on his personal experiments in dancing.
