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The Meenakshi temple is a Hindu Temple in the Tamil Nadu city of Madurai . Initially there was only the Shiva temple. It was expanded by Vaishvanâtha of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1560 and took 120 years to complete, with most of the construction being done between 1623 and 1660 at the behest of Kulasekara Pandya . The massive structure measures 254 by 237 meters. The temple precinct is surrounded by nine Gopuram s (monumental gateways covered with sculpture) which rise up to 200 feet high. Its tallest spire rises 60 meters, and was for many years the tallest structure in its category in Asia . The temple is dedicated to Shiva , known locally as Sundareshvara, and his consort Meenakshi , or Fisheyed One. The dual shrines dedicated to god and goddess add to the complexity of the plan. The Shiva shrine lies at the centre of the complex, suggesting that the ritual dominance of the goddess developed later. The shrines are small and crowned by modest ''shikaras'' (towers) with gold-plated finials. They are surrounded by their own walled and roofed enclosures with a connecting gate in their common side-wall. Within the outermost enclosure are various other features such as the Golden Lotus tank in which rainwater is collected for ritual ablution, the Marriage Hall that is used at the festival of the marriage of Shiva and Meenakshi, and the 16th century Hall of a Thousand Pillars. Outside the main entrance, the New Hall was constructed, an immense pillared pavilion, built in the 17th century by a Nayak ruler who commissioned life-size images of Nayak royalty to be carved against its Granite columns. A massive unfinished gopuram precedes the New Hall. These gopurams are characteristic of Vijayanagara temple cities. Their tall and highly decorated concave profile increase in size from the inner to the outer enclosures. The gopuram to the south, for example, rises up to 60 m and is covered with over 1500 brightly painted figures of gods and demons. These sculptures are repainted every twelve years during the temple’s reconsecration so that the colours remain as vibrant as they are today. The Meenakshi-Temple remains the symbol and heart of the city of Madurai and one of the holiest sites in India, attracting Pilgrim s and tourists. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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