Overnight in Heritage Madurai
We visited Madurai in December of 2024 as part of a trip that included visits to Kanadukathan and Rameshwaram. Here was our plan and Itinerary:
- Fly into Madurai from Chennai (1 hour flight)
- Rent a car and driver for our 4-day/3night trip to all the 3 towns.
- Day 1 – Overnight in Madurai
- Day 2 – Drive to Kanadukathan, Overnight in Kanadukathan
- Day 3 – Day trip to Rameshwaram, Overnight in Kanadukathan
- Day 4 – Drop off at Madurai airport
Madurai is an ancient and spiritual city on the Vaigai River in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is full of magnificent temples including the majestic Sri Meenakshi Amman temple that defines the city’s identity.
As mentioned, we took a flight into Madurai from Chennai. It was a short 1-hour flight which landed at about 12:30pm. Since our check-intime into Madurai Heritage hotel was 2pm, we decided to see some sites around Madurai after the driver picked us up from the airport.
- Thirumalai Nayak Palace
- St Mary Cathedral
- Gandhi Museum
- Thiruparankundram Temple
- Mariamman Teppakolam
- Meenakshi Amman Temple
- Samanar Hills
- Pazhamudhir Solai
- Alaghar Temple
Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace – Located in the center of the city, the Palace was built in 1636 by Thirumalai Nayak, a king of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, who ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1659. The present structure is the main palace which served as the living quarters of the king, and the original palace complex was four times larger. The Nayaks of Madurai ruled this place from 1545 until the 1740s and Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was one of their greatest kings notable for various buildings in and around Madurai. After independence, this palace was declared a national monument and is open to public from 9am – 5pm.
St Mary Cathedral – This is one of the most popular churches not only in Madurai but also in Tamil Nadu. Its architectural beauty makes it a place worth visiting. Built in 1841, St. Mary’s Cathedral is more than 150 years old. Initially this church was built as a small chapel by Fr. Garnier over a piece of land bought in 1840 by Fr. Bertrand SJ. The present structure of this church was built in 1916 and in 1969 the church got the status of Cathedral.
Gandhi Museum – 10am – 5:45pm. Closed on Friday. The museum was undergoing renovations during the day/month we visited. All the displays were moved to another location within the premises. Established in 1959 and inaugurated by Nehru, the museum serves as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The building is a former 17th-century palace and is one of the 5 great Gandhi Museums in the country.
In front of the main building of Gandhi Memorial Museum, you can see a hut, named Gandhi kutir. Located slightly towards the south of the main building, it has been created as a replica of the original hut of Mahatma Gandhi in Sevagram.
Heritage Madurai – After visiting Gandhi Memorial, we checked into our charming hotel. We had tea and snacks in the open cafe surrounded by greenery.
Thiruparankundram Temple – After a refreshing tea at the hotel, we visited Thiruparankundram Temple dedicated to god Murugan, and built in 6th Century by the Pandyas. The temple is the first abode of the six celebrated Murugan temples. The temple is constructed with rock-cut architecture dating back to the Pandya period of 6th century and the life sized sculptures in the mandapas of the Nayaka period during the 16th century.
Theppakulam Mariamman temple is dedicated to goddess Mariamman in Madurai. This temple is situated in the east side of the city and is about 5 kms from the famous Meenakshi Amman temple. Opposite this temple is Theppakulam (Tank). The tank was constructed in the honor of Lord Vigneshwara(or Ganesha), and is the biggest tank in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The tank is filled with water all year long as it is connected to Vaigai River through an ingenious system of underground Channels. It has total of 12 long stairs (steps) made of granite on all four sides. The temple as well as the stairs was built by the King Thirumalai Nayak. In the centre of the tank there is a Mandapam with a shrine of lord Ganesha. We reached this place, after 6:30pm and it was it was quite dark. The Kolam (tank) was all lighted up and looked great.
We visited the Kolam the next day, as we also wanted to see this place in daylight. It was as amazing as it was during the night.
Meenakshi Amman Temple – We visited this temple the next day morning. The temple is located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River and is believed to be over 2500 years old. The temple’s current form was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The temple’s history dates back to the 6th century CE, when the Pandya king Kulasekara Pandya built it to celebrate the marriage of Meenakshi and Shiva. The temple was destroyed in 1310 by the Islamic conqueror Malik Kafur. The temple was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Nayak ruler Vishwanatha Nayakar. Meenakshi Temple is primarily dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her spouse, Shiva. What makes this temple different from the others is the fact that both God and Goddess are worshipped together.
Some important information to keep in mind when visiting the temple:
- Dress conservatively, cover your shoulders and legs
- leave your footwear outside the temple premises. There are designated areas to keep one’s footwear. It’s advisable to carry a pair of socks during hot weather, as the temple grounds can become quite warm.
- Photographs – While visitors can take photos of the exterior of Meenakshi Amman Temple, photography is strictly prohibited within the inner sanctum.
- Temple Timings – Meenakshi Amman Temple is open from 5 AM to 12:30 PM, and again from 4 PM to 9:30 PM. Since the temple is so popular, there are long lines to reach the main shrine.
- Avoid weekends and crowded months – November-December, May-June, the temple is crowded.
- Fast track ticket – Visitors can pay Rs 50 or more to get into a fast track line which will still take 1-2 hours of standing in line to get darshan. If you know someone influential like a politician or a famous actor, you will be able to get darshan without waiting in line for too long, which is what we were able to do.
On the day we visited, work was being done on all the gopurams. The famed temple is set to host its kumbabishekam (consecration ceremony), which occurs once every 12 years, with extensive preparations and special pujas. Renovative measures like painting the temple’s iconic towers were taking place. We were able to get darshan at the temple without standing in line for too long. After visiting the temple, we walked around the temple admiring the temple complex which is huge, one of the largest in India.
Samanar Hills – 12 km from the city of Madurai is this beautiful hill rock complex which was originally home to Tamil Jain monks. This place is not very well known and hence not crowded, but certainly worth visiting. The hill caves have elaborate carvings and drawings of monks on the interior walls. Karuppanasamy temple is located at the foothills. There is also a lotus pond at the bottom of the hills.
There are 2 separate hikes that you can do at this place:
- hike up the hill to see Jain carvings – we skipped this hike because it was really hot that afternoon and as you see in the picture above, the path has no shade.
- Take the path on the left side of the hill (behind the temple) and climb the steps leading to a cave that has elaborate carvings and drawings of monks on the interior walls – we hiked this path
Pazhamudhir Solai – Dedicated to Lord Subramaniya, this small but beautiful temple is located upon a hill and is surrounded by dense forest which according to legend was the home of goddess Valli. This temple is one of the 6 sacred abodes of god Murugan. This temple is 24 km northeast of Madurai.
Alaghar Temple – After visiting visiting Pazhamudhir Solai, we drove down to the bottom of the hill and stopped by Alaghar temple. This temple has a stunning gopuram and façade. It is one of the 108 abodes of Lord Vishnu, who is worshipped in the name of Kallazhagar. The temple is situated in a beautiful spot, surrounded by hills and greenery.
