Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Madurai (India). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, and Athisayam. Also, be sure to include Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Madurai (Tamil Nadu).
Table of Contents
Meenakshi Temple
Also known as: मीनाक्षी सुन्दरेश्वर मन्दिर
Hindu temple in Madurai, India. Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Temple, also known as Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva. The temple is at the center 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 Sthalam. The Paadal Petra sthalam are 275 temples of lord Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of 6th-9th century CE.
The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model based on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is designed.[1]
Address: North Chitrai Street, 625001 Madurai
Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal
Also known as: तिरुमलई नायक पैलेस
Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace erected in 1636 AD by King Tirumala Nayaka, a king of Madurai's Nayaka dynasty who ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1659, in the city of Madurai, India. This Palace is a classic fusion of Italian and Rajput styles. The building, which can be seen today, was the main Palace, in which the king lived. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. In its heyday, the palace was considered to be one of the wonders of the South. This palace is two kilometres south east of the Meenakshi Amman Temple.[2]
Address: Madurai Main, Mahal Area, 625001 Madurai
Athisayam
Amusement park in India. Athisayam is an amusement theme park located in Paravai on Madurai - Dindigul National Highway 7, 12 km from Madurai. The park is located on a 70 acres site and features about 4 games and 2 water rides. The park is popular for its water rides, recreating the experience of Courtalam waterfalls.[3]
Address: 8 kms away from Madurai city in Madurai to Dindigul Highway, Madurai
Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple
Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Thiruparankundram is a Hindu temple and one of the Six Abodes of Murugan, located at Thiruparankundram,Tamilnadu, India. The temple is built in rock-cut architecture and believed to have been built by the Pandyas during the 6th century. According to the legend it is where Murugan slayed the demon Surapadman and married Deivayanai, the divine daughter of the king of heaven, Indra, and he is said to have worshipped Shiva here as Parangirinathar.
The temple is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Madurai in India. In the main shrine, apart from Muruga, deities of Shiva, Vishnu, Vinayaka and Durga are housed. The temple follows Shaivite tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Kantha Sashti festival during the Tamil month of Aippasi (October - November) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[4]
Gandhi Memorial Museum
Museum in India. Gandhi Memorial Museum, established in 1959, is a memorial museum for Mahatma Gandhi located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. Known as Gandhi Museum, it is now one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse.[5]
Address: Gandhi Nagar, Near Collectorate, 625020 Madurai
Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam
Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is a temple tank located near to Vandiyur Mariamman Temple and situated at a distance of about 5 km from the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Literally, Teppakulam means temple pond mainly used for devotional festivals.
The tank is connected to Vaigai River through an ingenious system of underground Channels. It has total of 12 long stairs (steps) made of granite on all four sides. The temple as well as the stairs was built by the King Thirumalai Nayak. In the centre of the tank there is a Madapam called Maiya Mandapam (Central Mandapam) with Vinayakar temple and garden.[6]
Subramaniya Swamy Temple
Hindu temple in Thiruparankundram, India. Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Thiruparankundram is a Hindu temple and one of the Six Abodes of Murugan, located at Thiruparankundram,Tamilnadu, India. The temple is built in rock-cut architecture and believed to have been built by the Pandyas during the 6th century. According to the legend it is where Murugan slayed the demon Surapadman and married Deivayanai, the divine daughter of the king of heaven, Indra, and he is said to have worshipped Shiva here as Parangirinathar.
The temple is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Madurai in India. In the main shrine, apart from Muruga, deities of Shiva, Vishnu, Vinayaka and Durga are housed. The temple follows Shaivite tradition of worship. Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Kantha Sashti festival during the Tamil month of Aippasi (October - November) being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[7]
Goripalayam Mosque
Mosque. Goripalayam Mosque is a large mosque in Goripalayam containing two graves of Sultans of Yemen namely Khaja Syed Sultan Alauddin Badusha Razi and Khaja Syed Sulthan Shamsuddin of the Madurai Sultanate. There is also one invisible grave of Khaja Syed Sultan Habibuddin Razi who is also known as Ghaibi Sulthan who came to India to spread Islam. Its dome is 70 feet in diameter and 20 feet in height and made of a single block of stone which was brought from the Azhaga Hills. It is said that it was built by Thirumalai Nayak for his Muslim subjects.[8]
Samanar Hills
Historical landmark in India. Samanar Hills, also known as Samanar Malai or Amanarmalai or Melmalai, is a rocky stretch of hills located near Keelakuyilkudi village, 10 kilometres west of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu, India. They stretch east–west over 3 kilometers towards Muthupatti village. These rocky hillocks are home to many Jain and Hindu monuments. The hill has been declared as a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.[9]
Address: Keelakuyilkudi Village, Sholavandan NH, Madurai
Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal temple
Hindu temple in Thirumohur, India. Thirumohoor Kalamegaperumal Temple is a hindu temple near Melur, Madurai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kalamega Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Mohanavalli Thayar. As per Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared as a female Mohini to lure the asuras to support Devas, the celestial deities. The temple is also known as Mohanapuram and Mohanakshetram.
A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and three of its four bodies of water. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower and a huge temple tank in front of it. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pandyas, with later additions from the Madurai Nayaks.
Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the Brahmotsavam, celebrated during the Tamil month of Vaikasi (April–May), being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[10]
Address: 12 km North-East of Madurai, 625001 Madurai
Thirupparankundram Rock-cut Cave and Inscription
Thirupparankundram Rock-cut Cave and Inscription, also known as Umai Andar or Umaiyandar temple, is a rock cut cave temple with inscriptions at the foot of the Thirupparankundram rock hill's south face. It is located in the town of Thirupparankundram, about 10 kilometres southwest of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of several layers of construction, the earliest is dated to the 8th-century early Pandya period, and the last to the 13th-century.[11]