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T
he salient features of this temple is its beautiful gopurams (Towers).
Four entrances to the temple are surmunted by the main gopurams. There is a fifth tower opposite to the Amman Sannathi (Shrine)and interior to the gopurams on the East, West South and North. Each goupuram rises to nine storeys from a huge rectangular base upto a height of 40m. Their sides are beautifully concave.
1. Souther Tower:This is the tallest tower buitl by Sirmala Sewanthi Chetty in 1559 A.D. There are about 1,500 beautiful sculptures adorning it. Visitora are permitted to climb upto the top of this tower (get the ticket by paying the tariff) and can have a glimpse of the Madutrai city and the whole view of
Meenakshi temple.
2. Eastern Tower:Is the oldest one built in 1256 D by a pandyan king Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan. 3. Northern Tower:Porbably built during the 16th or the 17th Century Ad by Krishna Virappa Nayaka. Adjacent to the Northern tower there is a small temple called Mottai Gopuram. The deity in this temple is Sri Maneeswaran who is the guarding deity for the whole Meenakshi Temple. 4.Western Tower:Belong to the 14th Century. On this tower is a Carving of a fish creast, the symbol of pandyas. 
A
Visitor who enters the temple through the eastern gate way first enters this mandapam (Hall). Here the pillars carry eight different manifestations of Goddess shakti.
T
his big hall is adjacent to Ashta Shakti Mandapam, consisting of 110 pillars carrying the figures of a peculiar animal with a lions body, and an elephant’s bead called yaali. In this hall you can also see a fire lamp holder bearing 1008 lamps.
W
hen you proceed towards the west from the Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam, you will see this tower. It is an innner tower carring 730 minute Sculptures.
I
t is the ‘Wonder of the Place’. Actually there are not 100 pillars but only 985 pillars. Each pillar is sculptured and is monument of the Dravidian sculpture. There is a Temple Art Museum in this 100 pillared hall. Where you can see icons,.photographs, drawings etc., exhibiting the 1200 years old history. There are so many other smaller and bigger mandapams in the temple.
Q
ueen Mangammal of Nayak dynasty ruled Madurai in the late 17th Century. There is a small Mandapam (Pillared hall) projecting over the steps of the tank on the western side. This hall has the statue of the queen. Inside the Mandapam are the beautiful paintings. The other mandapams (huge pillared halls) such as the Oonjal Mandapam, Kilikoondu Mandapam are adjacent to the tank (on the western side).
 Ramki_ind@rediffmail.com |
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