Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple facts for kids
The Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple is a very old and famous Hindu temple. It stands on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. This special temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Meenakshi and her husband, Sundareswarar, who is a form of Lord Shiva.
A Look Back at the Temple's History
The temple is right in the middle of Madurai, a city that's over 2,500 years old! It's a really important symbol for the Tamil people.
Most of the temple you see today was built between the years 1623 and 1655 CE. But people believe the temple was first built much, much earlier, possibly around 600 BC.
In the 14th century, a Muslim commander named Malik Kafur attacked the temple. He took many valuable things from it. Later, a ruler named Vishwanatha Nayakar helped rebuild the temple around the 16th century.
The temple has 14 large gateway towers called gopurams. These towers are very tall, reaching about 45 to 50 meters (148 to 164 feet) high. The tallest one is the southern tower, which is about 51.9 metres (170 ft) tall. There are also two golden sculptured vimanas. These are the roofs over the main shrines of the gods.
Visiting the Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Temple is a very popular place to visit. About 15,000 people come to the temple every day. On Fridays, this number can go up to 25,000 visitors!
There are an amazing 33,000 sculptures inside the temple. It was even considered as one of the top 30 places for the "New Seven Wonders of the World." This temple is the most famous landmark in Madurai. It is also the most visited tourist spot in the city.
Every year, a special 10-day festival called Meenakshi Tirukalyanam is held. This festival takes place in April and May. It attracts about 1 million visitors, making it a huge event!
