Meenakshi Temple
| Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple | |
|---|---|
அருள்மிகு காமக்கோட்டம் உடைய திரு ஆலவாய் நாச்சியார் திருக்கோவில் [1] | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Madurai |
| Deity |
|
| Festivals | Chithirai Thiruvizha, Navaratri, Cradle festival, Aavanimoolam, Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, Alagar's river plunge |
| Governing body | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
Shown within Tamil Nadu Meenakshi Temple (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 9°55′11″N 78°7′10″E / 9.91972°N 78.11944°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Pandyan architecture[2] |
| Inscriptions | over 40 |
| Elevation | 144 m (472 ft) |
| Website | |
| https://maduraimeenakshi.hrce.tn.gov.in/ | |
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River[3] in the temple city[4] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, her consort Sundareśvarar, a form of Shiva and her brother Aḻagar, a form of Vishnu.[5] The temple is theologically significant as it represents a confluence of the Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism denominations of Hinduism.[6] The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts. This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, which are 275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.
The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is based.[7][8]
- ^ திரு ஆலவாய் நாச்சியார் திருக்கோவில். BBC.
- ^ "This Temple Is Covered in Thousands of Colorful Statues". National Geographic. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Vijaya Ramaswamy (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 9–10, 103, 210, 363–364. ISBN 978-1-5381-0686-0.
- ^ Knott 2000, section 10.
- ^ Rajarajan Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine, R.K.K. 2005. Minaksi or Sundaresvara: Who is the first principle? South Indian History Congress Annual Proceedings XXV, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, pp. 551-553.
- ^ National Geographic 2008, p. 155.
- ^ Swaroop, Vishnu (7 November 2016). "Which Tamil Nadu temple is the state emblem?". The Times of India. Madurai: The Times Group. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Madhavan, Chitra (1–15 July 2011). "The artist who designed the State emblem". Madras Musings. XXI (6). Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.