Madurai, a splendid city with rich history and culture
By: Dhinesh Kumar
Tags: Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple, Festivals, Travel Tips, History

E xplore Madurai through my words

Due to this never ending lockdown for more than a year and a half, we’ve been at our homes the most. During these times, we (or at least me) miss travelling with our friends and family. Exploring new places is kinda my vibe. It’s an amazing feeling!

Hence here I am, to make you explore my wonderful city through this blogpost. Here are some of my suggestions you must do when you visit Madurai.

Visit Meenakshi Amman Temple

Meenakshi Amman Temple

A visit to the Meenakshi Amman Temple is a MUST in Madurai. You literally cannot skip without seeing this gorgeous temple.

The heart of Madurai is the fascinating temple of Meenakshi Amman. The temple was built by various kings at different times. The foundation stone of the temple was laid on the 11th century by King Kulasekara Pandya.

The temple was destroyed many times by various invaders and ruins of it can be still seen today at the corridors of it.

Let me tell you an interesting fact. The west tower (gopuram) of the Meenakshi Amman temple is the model based on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is designed.

Best time of year to visit : During Navaratri (Month of October)

The most perfect to go the temple is prolly early in the morning where you can feel the quietness and calmness of the temple.

Embrace Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace’s Beauty

Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace

Are you a history lover? Or a person who loves to visit grand palaces like in Jaipur and Udaipur? Then this palace is an apt kick starter for you to start exploring the city!

Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace is considered one of the architectural marvel of the city. The palace we see today is just the one fourth of the original structure built in the year 1636 AD.

The palace is a fusion of Italian and Rajasthani style of architecture which is uncommon to the South Indians back then. The interior is richly decorated whilst the exterior is treated in a more modest style.

Best time of year to visit : All year round

The perfect time to visit is at the time of dusk (6:30 PM to 7:30 PM) where you can enjoy a light show!

Stopover during the Chithirai Festival

Ther Thiruvizha at the Chithirai Festival

Do you wanna experience the real Madurai vibes? You got to experience this.

For those who don’t know, Chithirai Festival is a month long festival that mark the celebrations of the coronation of Goddess Meenakshi and her marriage to Lord Shiva for the first 15 days. The next 15 days mark the celebrations of the Journey of Lord Alagar (Vishnu) from Alagar Temple to Madurai.

During this fest, you will experience jam packed crowds everywhere you see waiting to witness the deities with the most pompous way possible for this whole month of Chithirai.

The one highlight of this festival is the Chariot aka Ther Thiruvizha where the come to see their subjects in a well-decorated chariot.

The another mega part of this festival is the journey of Lord Alagar which happens in the Vaigai river of Madurai.

Due to the restrictions of the lockdown, the Chithirai Thiruvizha did not happen for the last two years.

Hopefully, I hope to experience the festival in 2022!

Time of the year : Mid April to Mid May

The deities will witness all the devotees during the evening hours.

Eat. Eat. Eat.

A busy street in Madurai

Are you a foodie? Do you love to try new food? Then for God’s sake, come visit Madurai!

Madurai is a city well known for it’s food varieties and it’s array of different cuisines is what makes the food scene so special. There is something for everyone who live or visit here!

These are just few of my favorite picks. We have so much more!

JIGARTHANDA. We don’t drink the North Indian Lassi or Falooda. We have our known Tamilianized version of a cold beverage. Essentially, Jigarthanda involves Sarsaparilla syrup, chilled milk, lots of sugar, some cream and basundi. You simply mix everything, scoop some ice-cream on top and drink it. 😋

Personally I love dosas. It is a staple food in almost all of South India. But I would like to recommend a restaurant: Ayyappan Tiffin Home which has a wide variety of 75+ different types of dosas. For instance, they’ve Mozzarella cheese dosa, Butterscotch dosa etc. They prepare them in all unusual way possible yet so mouth savoring.

Are you a Parotta fanatic? We have an upgraded version of the normal Parotta known as Bun Parotta. They are made smaller than the common Parotta, to make them appear like buns. Sounds delicious right? You must try it!

Best time of year to try : Since when do y’all fix time to eat food? :P