Madurai
Madurai
Madurai or the city of nectar is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was being named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion some Divine nectar (madhu) fell from the matted locks of Shiva and hence the city was named Madhurapuri.The city is said to have got its name from the drops of nectar (Madhu) that fell from Shiva’s locks when he came to bless its people for constructing a temple for him. Originally named Madhurapuri or the ‘Land of Nectar’, the name later got modified as Madurai. From such legendary beginnings, the actual history of Madurai emerges sometime during 3rd century BC when it was the capital of the Pandyas who had trade contacts with Greece and Rome. The next major rulers of Madurai were the Vijayanagar kings who won over the territory in 1371. They appointed the Nayaks as governors who, in time, became powerful in their own right. adurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. Madurai is famous for Jasmine Flowers. Madurai is closely associated with the literary wealth of Classical and Modern Tamil. The crowning glory of this historic city is the sprawling Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple.
