Meenakshi Amman 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 Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here
named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the
2,500-year-old city of Madurai and is a significant symbol for
the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature.
Though most of the present structure was built between 1623 and
1655 CE. It is said that the temple was originally built in the 6th
century BC by survivors of the Kumari Kandam.It houses
14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45–50m in height. The
tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two
golden sculptured vimanas, the shrines over
the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of the main deities. The temple attracts
15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 on Fridays, and receives an annual
revenue of 60 million. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the
temple.It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of
the World". The temple is the most prominent landmark and most visited
tourist attraction in the city.The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam
festival, celebrated during April and May, attracts 1 million visitors.
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