The Goddess Meenakshi. Temple of Meenakshi in India (photo)

India has long attracted travelers from all over the world with its originality and mystery. This country has preserved a unique culture with traditional beliefs; Despite the influence of other religions, 80% of the population of this hospitable corner of the planet profess Hinduism. Many architectural creations that have become authentic works of art are dedicated to the gods, and the most beautiful and amazing masterpiece is the temple in the oldest city of Madurai. The former capital of the ancient state of Pandya was mentioned in the works of great geographers and scientists, different religions were successfully coexisting in the center of Tamil culture, until Hinduism took first place.

Beautiful legend

One of the spouses of the great Shiva was called Meenakshi. The temple in her honor was erected about two thousand years ago. The exact date can not be said, but the first mention of it appeared in ancient Indian manuscripts. According to mythology, the beautiful goddess was distinguished by bulging "fish" eyes, considered at that time the standard of beauty for a woman. The goddess Parvati, Shiva's wife, once angered her husband, and the Tsar's daughter was born on earth - her incarnation. The princess, after the death of her father, led the state and gained fame as a strong ruler, invincible in military battles. Having met the great Shiva, the fearless Meenakshi fell in love with him at first sight. The temple was built in the place where they were married on earth in the presence of all the gods descended from heaven.

No one knows until now who he is elevated and when. We were left with Tamil legends, which say that the chapel of the king-lord of Indra was laid on this place, and later it grew to a huge temple. In the XIII century it was destroyed by Muslim conquerors. And only in a hundred years it was restored.

City Attractions

The eighth wonder of the world is the temple of Meenakshi, located in the city of Madurai, a huge complex located on a territory of several hectares, with a column hall, a museum explaining the history of religion, and a number of gopuram (tower-shaped buildings) with colored Indian sculptures of multi-handed gods.

With the external resemblance of stone figures, none of them repeats the other. The main attraction is every day fifteen thousand tourists and pilgrims, according to the old tradition the latter live in the outer courtyards of the temple, where there are specially constructed for them rooms - mantaps. The cultural-historical monument reflects the representations of Hinduism about culture and religion in all its unique beauty.

Architectural complex

The amazing temple of Meenakshi, whose architectural splendor delighted the sophisticated traveler Marco Polo, is in the center of the city. The ancient complex consists of gopuram, towering above the surface of the earth and erected near a picturesque pond. When considering each of them, covered with colorful bright sculptures, in which no one pattern is repeated, is an independent work of art. The main shrines of the temple are in its altar part, hidden from the eyes of tourists, and only priests are allowed access to this divine place.

The hall of a thousand columns is called the heart of the temple. Interesting for all tourists are the musical basalt pillars: it is worth to knock on them lightly, as pleasant sounds are heard. To the pool with holy water, located inside and filled only during the rituals on holidays, come to pay homage to the ancient gods. Special prayers are performed by the sculpture of the elephant Ganesha, who is the son of Shiva and Meenakshi.

The fabulous temple of Meenakshi (India)

All travelers are surprised by the incredible height of the rectangular structure, the roof of which begins just above the entrance. Recalling the springboard, it seems to stretch upward, to the place where the great Indian gods dwell . The roof slopes are entirely decorated with colorful sculptures that give the structure a magical atmosphere, and on its entire surface there are colorful statues of gods, people, fairy animals depicting stories of local epics.

Tourists freeze with delight, watching the fantastically beautiful temple of Princess Meenakshi, whose architectural solutions surprise to this day: all the relief figures located parallel to each other form huge steps of a winding, bizarre shape. It's amazing that in the structure one can not find any right angle, according to ancient traditions, they are all rounded off smoothly, decorated with patterns or carvings.

Encyclopedia of Feats and Lives

In India, the veneration of the wise and militant goddess Meenakshi is extremely great. The temple, formerly destroyed and restored in its original form, is a stone encyclopedia of its life path, which is illustrated by more than thirty thousand figurative sculptures established by its devoted followers. It should be noted that, by and large, no architectural changes have been made to the architectural decoration, and all the colored sculptures are tinted every 12 years. In 2005, a unique structure, in which, it seems, the whole world of Hinduism is embodied, was restored.

Hinduism Center

The sacred temple, as a place of worship of all adherents of Hinduism, is a symbol and model of the universe. A cult place of interest is open around the clock, as religious rituals dedicated to Shiva and Meenakshi are performed day and night. The temple in Madurai is not only a tourist mecca, it is the largest and richest center of Hinduism, and numerous pilgrims visiting the temple leave expensive gifts as a sign of respect.

Images of Shiva and Meenakshi

Inside the religious complex, the goddess Minakshi is depicted in a green dress and with the same emerald tinge of her face, in one hand she holds a parrot. It was said that once there was a cage, and the birds kept in it were taught to pronounce the name of a fearless warrior.

Terrible Shiva in many sculptures is presented to the dancing. According to ancient beliefs, when the great god goes to dance, the world is restored to order, and it is worth resting - there is complete chaos. By the way, the ascetic Shiva is not only a defender, he is feared as a formidable destroyer, located near the funeral pyres. Often it is depicted as a two-faced deity: the left half of his body is represented by the female hypostasis, and the right half is represented by the male.

Thanks to its convenient location, the Meenakshi temple in India is extremely loved by various holiday organizers. The most important of them in meaning is the annual wedding of the gods. The temple feast takes 12 days, at which time Shiva's sculpture is dressed, seated on a golden cart, in which an elephant is harnessed, and carried by a ritual circle around the perimeter of the temple. And every night the priests carry the figure of God to the temple and leave them on the bed until morning.

Tips for tourists

Before entering the sacred place, it is necessary to wash the feet in the pond in front of the entrance. It is believed that water washes away all sins. Shoes tourists leave in special compartments, you can enter only barefoot. Earlier there was an opportunity to climb the towers in front of the complex and examine the temple of Meenakshi from the height. Photos of breathtaking views turned out to be truly magical. However, after the suicide of the building worker, the climb is prohibited.

Photographing inside is allowed at certain hours, for which tourists will have to pay. But to shoot around the cultural and religious monument is not prohibited. The main shrines, in order to prevent foreigners from joining them, are ministers dressed as policemen. In the evening, the Meenakshi temple gathers a huge number of travelers to the ceremony of worshiping the great gods under the melodic sounds of bells.

All tourists who are idly visiting the temple should remember that this is not an ordinary place, but a very important place for religious people, therefore it is necessary to observe the corresponding norms of decency.