Pages

Pages

Hinduism - Where Is Madurai In India?

 


On the Vygai River in Tamil Nadu, India, there is a temple town and a holy spot (tirtha).

The enormous temple devoted to Minakshi, the goddess, and her husband Sundareshvara is the most prominent attraction in Madurai.

Sundareshvara is a form of the god Shiva, while Minakshi is a local goddess who has grown into an important regional goddess.

The Nayak dynasty controlled southern India after the collapse of the Vijayanagar empire in the late sixteenth century, with the capital at Madurai.

Tirumalai Nayak (r. 1623-1659) erected most of the Minakshi temple, and his palace is another of the city's attractions.

The streets around the temple are divided into four circular processional loops, with the temple in the center.

The village was designed to resemble a lotus with layers of petals, with Minakshi's image at its core, around which everything revolved.

In terms of symbolism, the Minakshi temple was not only the heart of the city, but also the heart of the world.

Vijayanagar dynasty is another name for the Vijayanagar dynasty.


You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.