The southern gateway is beautifully proportioned and is nine stories high. Like the other gopurams, it is also crowded with the images of gods, goddesses, gargoyles, and gryphons. Like the statues of classical Greece, the people who follow the ancient Dravidian culture of South India also paint their gods in brilliant colors. Thus, one can experience a myriad of colors atop these gateways. A corridor, having lions and mythical beasts about to prance and literally jump out of pillars and pilasters, leads one past the sanctum sanctorum of the goddess towards one of the most perfect halls in the temple complex, the Kambhattadi Mandapam, which faces the sanctuary of the Lord.
Natural light stripes the flagstones and floods statues inside.
One is spellbound by the exquisite expressions on the face of Meenakshi as she weds Shiva. She looks shy, he suitably serious. They could be any modern-day bride and grooms. Next to them stands Meenakshi s brother, giving the bride away, a look of great pride and joy on his face. The other statues in the hall are no less important and explore the whole gamut of human emotions.