Madurai and Rameswaram - Post Trip Write up

Madurai and Rameswaram Temple Trip:

My mom wanted to visit Lord Murugan’s Temple near Madurai and I decided to plan for a temple trip Madurai and Rameswaram.

We started on Friday night by Pandiyan Express by 9.20 pm and reached Saturday morning by 7.00 am

We found one lodge in the Madurai City near Meenakshi Temple and refreshed ourselves.

First we went to Meenakshi Temple and we found lot of crowd was there due to holiday time. It took two hours to complete the temple dharshan. It was very big temple but the inner prakaram was not maintained cleanly. Also everywhere in the temple the entry was allowed with special entry fees. Due to crowd we used to enter by special ticket (Rs.20) only.

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi ). The complex houses 14 magnificent Gopurams or towers including two golden Gopurams for the main deities, that are elaborately sculptured and painted.

Temple Pillar

The ancient city of Madurai, more than 2,500 years old, was built by the Pandyan king, Kulashekarar, in the 6th century B.C. But the reign of the Nayaks marks the golden period of Madurai when art, architecture and learning flourished expansively. The most beautiful buildings in the city including its most famous landmark, the Meenakshi temple, were built during the Nayak rule.

This magnificent temple complex sprawls over an area of 6 hectares. It also has 12 gopurams or gateways, ranging in height from 45 to 50 m, the tallest being the southern one. The southern gateway is beautifully proportioned and is nine stories high. Like the other gopurams, it is also crowded with the images of gods, goddesses, gargoyles, and gryphons. Like the statues of classical Greece, the people who follow the ancient Dravidian culture of South India also paint their gods in brilliant colors. Thus, one can experience a myriad of colors atop these gateways.

           

The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. The complex houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two golden sculptured vimana (shrine) over sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is built during 1623 to 1655 CE The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 during Fridays. There is an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple and it was in the list of top 30 nominees of the "New Seven Wonders of the World". The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival celebrated during April–May attracts 1 million visitors.

The thousand pillar mandapam (Aayiram Kaal Mandapam) is regarded as the 'wonder of the palace'. There are around 985 beautifully decorated columns. Each pillar is beautifully sculptured and presents the glory of the Dravidan sculpture. This hall also houses a Temple Art Museum, where you can see icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200 years old history.

According to legend, the sacred Suyambulingam discovered by the king of Gods indira at Kadambavanam,  was later  enshrined  by him in  Madurai.  The fact that the Lord is seen on the vehicle of  Indira in this temple is said to be proof  for this.

Many historical evidences of the temple have been found  dating back from early A.D

The temple was almost completely destroyed in  the year 1310 following the invasion of  the Islamic   conqueror Malikkapur. As  kings who were followers of Islam were noted for their  intolerance towards other religions, the invaders destroyed most of  the ancient sculptures of the temple.

Murugan with Valli Deivanai

Thirugnanasambandar the Hindu Saint has mentioned the temple in his songs which go back to early 7th century.  The Lord has been described as Alavai Iraivan  in his songs.

The temple was restored to its pristine glory in the late 14th century when the Hindu Kings came back to power in Madurai. This can also be termed as a new beginning of a new era in the history of the temple, when it was almost rebuilt.

The King  Thirumalai Naicker played an important role in the construction of the new form of the temple according to records.

Thiruparankundram Hills

And then after lunch we went to Thiruparankundram Temple. Located at a distance of about 8 km to the south of Madurai, Thiruparankundram is one of the six abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Subramaniya. According to legend, the Lord married Deivyani, the daughter of Lord Indra at this place. This is a cave temple, One of the sangam poet Nakkirar has sung a log poem about this Temple is called Thirumurugatrupadai. Devayanai Marriage, Thirumalai Nayak and Mangammal Sculptures are there in this temple. Best captivating feature of Thiruparankundram Temple are the 48 pillars with elegant carvings! The most important sculputure is Lord siva with flag of Rishaba in his hand cannot be found anywhere else. 

Thiruparankundram Temple

The "real history"  of the temple may start with 8th century AD when Pandya rulers built rock-cut temple.

Later, during the reign of Nayaks of Madurai (1559 - 1736 AD) the temple was supplemented with beautiful gopurams and beautified. There was built extensive and beautiful front part (mugha mandapam) with 48 ornate pillars carved during the rule of Pandya and Nayaks.

We heard that, on the top of hill there is also a Muslim shrine devoted to Sikander - Alexander the Great! Local Muslims consider that Alexander the Great was the friend of King Murugan. Thus Thiruparankundram is a place where both Hindu and Muslims go well along.

Nayakkar Mahal

Thirumalai Nayakar palace is one of the important palace which was built by Thirumalai Nayaakar in 1636. The paintings, carvings and designing of the mahal shows the amazing talents of the nayak kings. This Mahal is situated 2kms south east of Meenakshi Amman Temple. A classic example of the Indo-saracenic style, the piece de resistance of this mahal is its carved dome outsoars without the support of girders or rafters. This mahal has 248 pillars of each 58 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. The gigantic pillars and paintings of the events that took place before, the ethics impress ourselves and takes us to the 16th century. There is a dancing hall and a courtyard at the center of the mahal. The stucco work on its domes and arches is remarkable. Now this mahal is used for cinema shooting. A song was shot in this mahal from the film Bombay and some more.The palace is a famous tourist spot, which covers many of the peoples thoughts. It makes everyone wonder about its architectural designs. The mahal is equipped to perform light and sound shows depicting the story of Silappathikaram in both tamil and english language. Inside the palace, furniture and utensils used by the kings have been exhibited. Another important feature of Thirumalai Nayakar palace is that, when seen from this palace we will be able to see koodalagar kovil. The mahal is designed in such a way that the people visiting this mahal is also benefitted by receiving the blessings of the God perumal. In the early period, Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal was so very big, but only a portion of it is remaining today. 

Timings: 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m 2.00 p.m.and 5.00 p.m.
Entrance Fee: Re.20/-per head.
Timings for daily Sound and light show: English at 6.45 p.m, Tamil at 8.15 p.m.
Ticket charges for the Sound and Light show: Entry Fee: Rs.25/-

Pillar in Mahal

Nayakkar Throne

Alagar Koil

Located 21 kms northwest of Madurai is a Vishnu Temple on a picturesque wooded hill. Here 'Vishnu' presides as Meenakshi's brother 'Azhagar'. During the Chitrai festival in April/May, when the celestial marriage of Meenakshi to Sundareswarar is celebrated, Azhagar travels to Madurai. A gold processional icon called the Sundararajar is carried by devotees in procession from Azhagar Kovil to Madurai for wedding ritual.

Pazhamudhircholai Murugan Temple

Palamudhirsolai, one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya is on the same hill, about 4 kms above. A natural spring called Nuburagangai where pilgrims bath, is located here. Also Rakkayi temple is here near by the nuburagangai.

Pazhamudhircholai Rakkayi Temple

Vandiyur Mariamman Temple Pond

On the Next day Morning we started to Rameswaram by Train. I selected this train route because of I want to see the train travelling on Pamban Bridge. Passenger Train from Madurai daily runs at 6.45 am and reach Rameswaram by 10.15am.

Pamban Bridge (Tamil: பாம்பன் பாலம்) is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) and was opened to traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under it. The railway bridge historically carried metre-gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad-gauge trains in a project that finished on 12th August 2007. Historically, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers. About 10 ships — cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month. After completion of bridge, metre-gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to Pamban Station, from where the railway lines bifurcated into two directions, one towards Rameswaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi. The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Chennai Egmore up to Dhanushkodi, from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon. The metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was abandoned after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964.

Pamban Bridge

First we visited Ramanathaswamy Temple and the 25 thirthas inside the temple. The temple will open from 5.00 am to 12.00 noon and 3.00pm to 9.00pm. By the time we visited it was 11.00 am so we take darshan of the Temple first. We have not taken bath at the thirthas. But we visited only 12-13 thirthas inside the temple and by the time the temple was closed for noon session. The final theertham was the Agni Theertham ie. Sea.

Rameswaram Temple

Rameswaram means “Lord of Rama” in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka. Rameshwaram is a town in the Ramanathapuram district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 50 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar, at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.

According to legend, this is the place from where the Hindu god Rama built a bridge, across the sea to Lanka to rescue his consort Sita from her abductor Ravana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva is located at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama. The temple along with the town is considered a holy pilgrimage site for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites

Rameswaram is the closest point to reach Sri Lanka and geological evidence suggests that the Adam’s bridge was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The town is in news over alleged attack by Sri Lankan navy for alleged cross border activities by fishermen, Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, Kachchatheevu and Sri Lankan Tamil refugees.

House of Kalam

The Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most notable and historic landmark of the town. Located in the centre of town, Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga meaning "pillar of light". It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam temples and is glorified in hymns by the three of the most revered Nayanar saints (7th century Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar. The temple in its current structure was built during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty (17th century) to the temple was considerable. Large amount of money was spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the pagodas which were falling into ruins - the Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameshwaram was reconstructed by him. The rulers of Sri Lanka contributed to the temple - Parakrama Bahu (1153-1186 CE) was involved in the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. 

Ramanatha swamy Temple Pillars

Temple Tanks

There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Theerthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram. According to the Skanda Purana, twenty-four of them are important. Bathing in these tanks is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the tanks are within the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The foremost one is called Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal). Jatayu, King of the Birds, who fought in vain with the demon-king Ravana to save Sita, is said to have fallen down at Jadayu Theertham as his wings were severed. Villoondi Theertham literally translates to ‘buried bow’, is located around 7 kilometres from the main temple on the way to Pamban. It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water. Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Theertham, Sugreeva Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham. 

Sacred Well at Temple

Agni theertham Sea

After the temple darshan we took lunch and we arranged on Auto for  visiting other nearby places.  The Places We visited are Ramar Patham, Sakshi Vinayagar, Abdul Kalam House, Dhanuskodi, Panchamuga Anchaneya,  Lakshmana Theertham and Hanuman theertham. The autowala took Rs.400 from us. 

Ramar Patham (Foot Steps)

Kandhamathana Parvatham, a hillock situated 3 km to the north of the temple is the highest point in the island. There is a two storeyed hall, where Rama's feet is found as an imprint on a chakra (wheel) The Ramar patham Temple is located on the hillock.

Sakshi Anjaneya

Dhanuskodi Seashore

Dhanuskodi Village

Dhanushkodi is the southern most tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramasamy Temple dedicated to Rama. Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone, the temple alone remained intactIt is 18 km way from the centre of the town and can be reached by road. A popular belief is that, Dhanushkodi is where Vibishana, a brother of Ravana surrendered before Rama in the epic Ramayana.

Sea Shore - Dhanuskodi

After finished our holy trip we returned to Chennai by Ramesharan Chennai express by 19.40 pm in Rameswaram.

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