The Goddess of Madurai and her temple
December 16, 2013 • Photography & Travel, Spiritual Adventures
This spectacular temple is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus the world over. The hallways and chambers are crowded from dawn to dusk, filled with pilgrims eager for darshan (sight) of the Goddess Meenakshi in the sanctum sanctorum. Pilgrims come to offer prayers, to have wishes fulfilled, to atone for misdeeds or simply to offer their love to the Goddess for Her presence in their lives. The Hindu religion is alive in this temple, and you’ll sense the spiritual power immediately upon walking into this divine citadel. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai.
Hinduism is monotheistic, meaning it believes in one Supreme God. Within Hinduism there are 4 primary sects one of which is called Shaktism. Members of this sect revere the Supreme as the Divine Mother. As far as I know it’s the only religion that worships God in the feminine form. Shaktas, members of this sect, consider the Meenakshi temple as one of their most sacred temples in the world. Here, the Supreme God manifests as the Goddess Meenakshi in the sanctum sanctorum, an all-loving, compassionate and gentle Divine Mother. Truly one of my most favorite places to visit in southern India to experience an energy so refined and divine.
Pilgrims meditating at one of the smaller shrines surrounding the central sanctum.
The temple today stands as one of the gems of the city, attracting over 15,000 visitors a day to its dazzling architecture including its 10 outer gopurams, or towers, that stand guard around the temple and the gold-topped shrines in the center of the temple. Geographically, the temple lies in the very heart of Madurai, and has fostered the cultural heartbeat of the city. The Meenakshi Tirukalyanam Festival, which takes place in the spring and goes on for ten celebratory days, attracts an average of one million people each year. It was also in the running to be given the prestigious title by the New7Wonders Foundation of one of seven “New Wonders of the World.”
An imperial nine-story tower rises into the sky, silhouetted against the Vaigai River. The towers were built in the 16th century and is many centuries younger than the grand temple upon which it rests. The Meenakshi Amman Temple, built to honor the Goddess Meenakshi is a wonder to behold and one of our destinations on the 2014 March meditation retreat to South India.
A couple worships at one of the smaller shrines, a fertility shrine, known to help couples conceive a child.
The massive hallways of the temple lined with gigantic pillars and colorfully painted ceilings.
The temple towers soar above the city making it the largest and tallest structure in Madurai. The height of the towers range from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high.
If you have not subscribed to the blog, consider doing so. It’s easy. On the upper right hand side of this page is a “subscribe” section. Enter your email address and click subscribe. You’ll get a confirmation email from Google Feedburner. Say yes, and you’ll receive an email every time there is a post (at the most only one a day). We post about 10 to 15 times a month.
Joyous Children
Today I thought I’d share some images that I photographed of smiling and laughing children during my many travels to India. These pictures remind me of my favorite quote from my guru, Gurudeva Subramuniyaswami: “Life is meant to be lived joyously.” Whether you are going through a challenging time...
Read More
The Colored Sand Makers of Tamil Nadu
It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of my photography posts. As many of you know I am passionate about photography. During a recent trip to South India in December last year I drove past a small village in Tamil Nadu, South India, where it looked like the main industry here was making…
Read More
My Visit to Seoul
I recently posted about giving a keynote at the 2017 World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea. Once that event concluded, I spent a couple extra days exploring this wonderful city. I’m particularly drawn to historical sites and spent most of my time exploring a few of the main palaces wi...
Read More
South India’s Mouth Watering Treasure
Tamil Nadu, the land of the Tamils, was dominated by the Dravidian culture for 2500 years. The cuisine is distinctly different from that of the north, and is based primarily on rice rather than wheat and an abundant use of coconut. With a largely vegetarian population like much of India, Tamil Na...
Read More
