Madurai, known as the "city of nectar" is one of the oldest cities of India situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It was home to the ancient Tamil Sangam, the literary conclave that produced the first epic, Silappathikaram. Situated on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai is also known as Athens of the East. Madurai is one of the liveliest cities in South India and today, it is famous for producing the finest textiles in India as well for the best harvests of jasmine flowers. The city is famous for housing some of the most beautiful temples of India and Meenakshi Temple is the finest example of architectural brilliance of the city. Geography and Climate Madurai is located at 9.93°N 78.12°E at an average elevation of 101 meters above the sea level. The city of Madurai lies on the flat and fertile plain of the river Vaigai, which runs in the northwest-southeast direction through the city, dividing it into two almost equal halves. The Sirumalai and Nagamalai hills lie to the north and west of Madurai. The land in and around the city is utilized mainly for agricultural activity, which is fostered by the Periyar Dam. Paddy is the major crop, followed by pulses, millet, oil seed, cotton and sugarcane. Madurai is warm most of the year with maximum temperatures varying from 37°C in summer to 29°C in winter. Minimum temperatures in winter hardly ever fall below 20°C. Being situated in the middle of mountains and the sea, it experiences similar monsoon pattern with Northeast monsoon and Southwest monsoon, with the former providing more rain during October to December. The average annual rainfall for the Madurai district is about 85.76 cm. Demographics According to 2011 census, Madurai has a population of 1,017,865 with a sex-ratio of 999 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 100,324 are under the age of six, constituting 51,485 males and 48,839 females. The religion data as per 2001 census was that a majority of the population were Hindus with sizeable number of Christians and Muslims. Buddhishts, Sikhs and Jains were also present in smaller numbers. Tamil is spoken by majority of the population and Saurashtrian, another common language in the city, is the mother tongue of the Patnūlkarars who migrated from Gujarat in the 16th century CE. History of Madurai Madurai was originally known as Kadambavanam or the "forest of Kadamba" or the Nauclea kadamba. However, according to the legend, Lord Shiva appeared in the dream on the king, Kulasekhara Pandya. The king was amazed to see drops of nectar or madhu falling down of earth from Lord Shiva's matted hair. The "madhu" was so sweet that the place where it fell came to be known as Madhurapuri, which in course of time became "Madurai." The city has a rich historical background in the sense that Lord Shiva himself performed sixty-four wonders called "Thiruvilaiyadals". According to the Tamil and Greek documents record the existence of the city dates back to the 4th century B.C. Megasthanes was the first one to visit the city and later many people from Rome and Greece visited Madurai and established trade with the Pandya kings. Madurai flourished till 10th century AD when it was captured by Cholas the arch rivals of the Pandyas. The Cholas ruled Madurai from 920 AD till the beginning of the 13th century and in the year 1223 AD Pandyas recaptured their kingdom and once again become prosperous. Pandian Kings patronized Tamil language in a great way and during their period, many master-pieces were created. "Silapathikaram", the great epic in Tamil was written based on the story of Kannagi who burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan. In April 1311, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who was then the ruler of Delhi, reached Madurai and raided and robbed the city for precious stones, jewels, and other rare treasures. This led to the subsequent raids by other Muslim Sultans. In the year 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai became a province of the Delhi Empire, under the Tughlaks. In the year 1371, the Vijayanagar dynasty of Hampi captured Madurai and the city became part of the Vijayanagar Empire and kings of this dynasty were in habit of leaving the captured land to governors called Nayaks. This was done for the efficient management of their empire and the Nayaks paid fixed amount annually to the Vijayanagar Empire. After the death of Krishna Deva Raya in the year 1530 AD, the Nayaks became independent and ruled the territories under their control. Among Nayaks, Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was very popular; even now he is popular among people, since, it was he who contributed to the creation of magnificent architecture in and around Madurai. The Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Pudu Mandapam and The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace are living monuments to his artistic vehemence. Like all other cities of India, Madurai as well fell into the hands of East India Company and in the year 1781, British appointed their representatives to look after Madurai and George Procter was the first collector of Madurai. After India attained Independence, Madurai became one of the major districts of Tamil Nadu. Culture of Madurai Situated in the centre of Tamil Nadu, Madurai has a blend of both Dravidian and Tamil culture. Famous for its cultural and scholarly quests, the city had an academy consisting of critics, poets and savants highly esteemed both by kings and commoners. It was in Madurai that three successful conferences of Tamil scholars called sangams flourished under benevolent royal support. The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, including Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, the Chittirai Festival and the Car Festival. The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, also called Chittirai festival, is celebrated during April–May every year and attracts one million visitors. Legend has it that the Hindu god Vishnu, as Alagar, rode on a golden horse to Madurai to attend the celestial wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar (Shiva). During the Cradle festival, the festive idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are taken in procession to a mirror chamber and set on a rocking swing for nine days. Avanimoolam festival is celebrated during September when the 64 sacred games of Shiva, thiruvilayadal, are recited. Besides these there are several other important festivals that are celebrated in the city with great enthusiaism. Tourist Attractions in Madurai One of the oldest cities in South India, Madurai has been the centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Archaeological evidences unearthed from this region suggest the existence of settlements in the Megalithic Age and the Neolithic Age. The architectural marvels of the temples and the exquisite sculptures attract a horde of tourists from various parts of the World. Some of the prominent travel Destinations in the the city are: Meenakshi Temple Alagar Koil Gandhi Museum Mariamman Teppakulam Kazimar Big Mosque and Maqbara Vaigai Dam Thirumalai Nayak Palace Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam Goripalayam Dargah Koodal Azhagar Temple Tirupparankundram Murugan Temple Pazhamudhir Solai Adhisyam St. Mary's Cathedral Church Transportation Roadways The National Highways NH 7, NH 45B, NH 208 and NH 49 pass through Madurai along with state highways, namely SH-33, SH-72, SH-72A, SH-73 and SH-73A which connect various parts of the district. Madurai is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai) and provides local and inter-city bus transport across seven districts. The city houses three major bus terminals, namely, Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus (MIBT) and Arappalayam, and Periyar Bus stand are used for intra-city buses. Auto rickshaws are a common means of transportation within the city and are available on hire. Railways Madurai Junction is an important railway junction in southern Tamil Nadu and constitutes a separate division of the Southern Railway. It connects to the major cities of India as well as Tamil Nadu. Airways Madurai Airport is located 12 kilometres from the city and is one of the most important airports of Tamil Nadu. It offers domestic flight services to major cities in India and international services to Colombo, Sri Lanka and Dubai, UAE.
