Madurai Meenakshi Temple

The Meenakshi Temple of Madurai

The Meenakshi Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples located in the holy city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. 

The temple is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. 

The temple has 14 towers, 4,500 pillars and 33,000 sculptures — it’s massive! The temple is as vital to the aesthetic heritage of South India as the Taj Mahal is to North India History Madurai Meenakshi temple’s history is as old as the history of the city itself. 

The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500-year-old city of Madurai. This ancient city is built around the Meenakshi Temple which has been the geographical and ritualistic centre of the region since the times of the Pandyans. The temple is said to have been constructed by Kulashekara Pandyan. 

The Meenakshi temple was almost completely destroyed in the year 1310 following the invasion of the Islamic conqueror Malikkapur. 

The present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE by Nayakas, who ruled Madurai from 16th to 18th century. 

Legend tells the tale that the second Pandyan king Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchananalaj were unable to conceive any children. In attempts to beget a child, Malaydwaja conducted many Vedic homas (rituals involving a fire pit). Finally, in the middle of one such ritual, an infant version of Goddess Parvati appeared. 

This infant was born with three breasts, but a voice from the heavens told her new parents not to worry because one of her breasts would disappear when she met her true love. The infant was named Tadaatagai and succeeded her father to the throne. 

She led armies on successful campaigns of conquest. In her last campaign in North India, she challenged Lord Shiva himself at Mount Kailash, but when She saw the great Lord, She fell in love with him. 

The bridegroom followed her home, married her, took the name Sundara Pandya and together they ruled Madurai. This scene is seen depicted in the temple. 

According to mythology, the marriage of Meenakshi and Shiva actually took place in Madurai. It is still celebrated every year with great pomp and show. img: 

The Meenakshi temple has huge Gopurams (Towers) which can be seen from a far off distance. There are total 14 gopurams, but the tallest four stand on the outer walls, each facing one of the four directions (north, east, south, and west). 

Amongst the four gateways, the south one is the tallest. It is about 50 m high and can be climbed to have a view of the entire city. 

Inside, there are two main shrines — one dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi (Parvati) and the other to her husband Sundareswarar (Lord Shiva). Both the Meenakshi and Sundareswarar shrines have gold plated towers whose tops can be seen from a great distance. 

The bottom part of the temple is made from granite, while its gopuram are made from limestone. Each gopuram is a multi-storied structure in the shape of a steep pyramid, covered with thousands of stone figures of animals, gods, goddesses and demons painted in all colors of the rainbow. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures all over the temple. 

The temple wasn’t always so vividly painted. The original structure was probably unpainted granite. Then people started painting the sculptures because they wanted the temple to look colorful during big events and festivals. 

There is also a sacred water tank, several halls and innumerable Mandapas. The ‘Mandapam’ of the temple consists of 985 pillars. Each pillar is unique. Some of the pillars are music pillars, which produce music when tapped. The special feature of these pillars is that they are carved out of a single granite stone block. 

There are a number of other halls and towers in the temple which are worth watching for their sculptures, carvings and designs. Each one is different from the other, in one aspect or the other. 

The temple also has an art museum. It contains icons, drawings and photographs which date back to the 1200 – year – old history of Indian temple architecture in the south. 

A lot of information can be extracted on the Hindu pantheon and related legends from this splendid museum. 

It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the “New Seven Wonders of the World”. The sheer size of the temple means that it’s easy to get lost inside, and there’s so much to see and marvel over that you could easily spend days there. 

Various kings renovated the temple, leaving a distinct impression of their artistic taste. A number of complex corridors, magnificent sculptures and a heavenly abode suitable for Goddess Meenakshi, include the additions to the temple that were done by different kings.
Read more at: http://www.mysteryofindia.com/2016/02/meenakshi-temple-madurai.html

N. Mammathu, Musicologist of Madurai

Published: February 1, 2016 00:00 IST | Updated: February 1, 2016 05:47 IST February 1, 2016

A musicalogist’s journey


N. Mammathu, Musicologist of Madurai.— Photo: R. Ashok

His name is synonymous with Tamil music in Madurai. But it is very difficult to ward off distractions caused by the aroma of food prepared in the kitchen and mellifluous Mohanam from his mobile phone while listening to this musicologist recollect the octaves and sextets in the musical journey of his life from Idaikal near Courtallam in Tirunelveli district to Madurai. After numerous articles and seven books on Tamil music since his retirement as Superintendent in the Department of Highways on December 31, 2004, the crowning glory being the celebrated Tamil Isai Peragarathi, N. Mammathu is currently working on an exposition of 100 ragas to be published by the Tamil Music Research Centre of Thiagarajar College.

Mr. Mammathu tells S. Annamalai what attracted him to music and who inspired him to do research.

The genetic reason for the music flowing in him is his father, a successful farmer and businessman and a lover of music in any form. “I did not have to go out in search of music in my young age. Music was an integral part of life. People were surrounded by music in villages. Every woman born in Tamil Nadu was a singer then and I could hear lullaby at any time of night in my village. Even death featured 16 days of dirge. Temple festivals were filled with music in the form of ‘villu pattu’ or ‘karagattam,’” recalls Mr. Mammathu. The love for music transformed into a passion for musicology during his undergraduate days at MDT Hindu College, Tirunelveli, where he came into contact with scholars of repute and C.S. Mani, an employee of Department of Posts. “Mani was a person with vast knowledge and extraordinary memory. We used to assemble at his house on Friday evenings to listen to discourses on various topics. It was Mani who initiated me into musicology as he felt that there were very few musicologists in the State.”

From his college days, he started to collect books on music. His postal service took him to many towns in Tamil Nadu and when he came to Madurai he realised that he had “reached a 2000-year-old city of arts, temples, festivals and stone inscriptions.” “This is a living city, the seat of music. It was here the trimurtis of Tamil music — Sankaradas, Viswanathadas and Baskaradas — lived.” But the turning point was his association with eminent musicologist, V. P. K. Sundaram, a professor of American College and author of Tamil Isai Kalaikalanjiyam published by Bharatidasan University for 20 years. In between, he obtained a postgraduate degree in Philosophy and Religion and M. Phil. in Sufi music from Madurai Kamaraj University.

Explaining the evolution of Tamil music, he says that five of the seven ‘melakartha ragas’ belong to each of the five Tamil landscapes — Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal and Paalai — with an additional raga each for Neithal and Marutham. This additional raga is co-terminus with two capitals — on the coast and inland — the ancient Tamil kings had. The Pandyas had Korkkai and Madurai, Cholas Poompuhar and Woriyur and Cheras Musiri and Vanchi. Mohanam was the first raga of Tamils.

China’s prima raga

“Ragas are universal. China’s prime raga is Mohanam. Its national anthem is in Mohanam,” he says. Mr. Mammathu says that there cannot be a debate over which music is ancient. “Tamil music has different genres — folk, dance, theatre, light, devotional and chamber. These are the primary forms of music which can be sung in any language. But the elite have popularised chamber music. This does not mean that other genres are inferior.”

Turning to popular film music, Mr. Mammathu is of the firm view that one should not be critical of contemporary music. “Every era comes up with a form of music that signifies a change in popular taste. The era dominated by the likes of G. Ramanathan churned out pure Carnatic music and M.S. Viswanathan made it light. Ilayaraja infused folk music and A. R. Rahman is known for fusion music.” While affirming that music is universal, Mr. Mammathu says that a researcher should not be influenced by the love for his mother tongue.

“When he came to Madurai, he realised that he had reached a 2000-year-old city of arts, temples, festivals and stone inscriptions”

Printable version | Feb 10, 2016 9:59:59 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/a-musicalogists-journey/article8177271.ece

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