page_title: Tirumala Nayaka
section_title: Tirumala Nayaka's Madurai
hierarchical_section_title: Tirumala Nayaka / Tirumala Nayaka's Madurai
caption_attribution_description: English: Inner Auditorium/Dance Hall of Tirumalai Nayak Palace, Madurai
context_page_description: Tirumala Nayaka or Thirumalai Nayak ruled Madurai between A.D 1623 and 1659. He was the most notable of the thirteen Madurai Nayak rulers in the 17th century. His contributions are found in the many splendid buildings and temples of Madurai. His kingdom was under constant threat from the armies of Bijapur Sultanate and the other neighbouring Muslim kingdoms, which he managed to repulse successfully. His territories comprised much of the old Pandya territories which included Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Madurai districts, Aragalur in southern Tamil Nadu and some territories of the Travancore kingdom.
  Tirumala Nayaka was a great patron of art and architecture and the Dravidian architecture evolved into the Madurai style. He rebuilt and renovated a number of old temples of the Pandya period. His palace, known as the Tirumala Nayaka Palace, is a notable architectural masterpiece.
context_section_description: Tirumala Nayaka’s capital was Madurai. The royal residence had been moved from there to Thiruchirapalli by his predecessor, but Tirumala Nayaka moved it back to Madurai again. The reason for this move is claimed to be due to a dream Tirumala Nayaka had but also stated by historians that Madurai has a long history and continuously civilized through ages and thiruchirapalli is at a threat of immediate attack by Mysore.
caption: Palace Auditorium/Dance Hall
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