Madurai History

The present day city of Madurai is said to have been known as Kadambavanam, a forest. Lord Indra was worshipping Swayambhu, the Lingam in the forest which was noticed by Dhananjaya, a farmer. The Lingam was under the Kadamba tree. The reported about what he saw in Kadambavanam to King Kulasekara Pandiya.

Thus the kind ordered to clear the forest in the place and to build a temple around the Lingam. With the temple as the center, a city was soon planned and developed. When the city was created it is said that a drop of honey fell on the town from the hair of Lord Shiva who appeared. Thus the city was named as Mathuram, meaning sweetness in Tamil, which is now changed to Madurai. Lord Shiva has performed about sixty-four wonders called "Thiruvilaiyadals" in the city of Madurai and thus Madurai occupies a very important place in the history. Megasthanes visited Madurai in the 3rd century BC and the place is said to be visited by many people from Rome and Greece and they were involved in the trade with the Pandiya Kings who were ruling over the place in those days. Madurai is said to have flourished in the 10th century AD which was the time when the Pandiyas rule was captured by the Cholas. From 920 AD till the beginning of the 13th century, Madurai was ruled over the Cholas. The Madurai was captured again by the Pandiyas and they ruled the place from 1223 AD. It was the Pandian Kings who spread the language of Tamil and many master pieces in the Tamil language like “Silapathikaram” is said to have been created in the days.

Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji who was ruling over the region of Delhi had raided Madurai in the year 1311 for precious stones, jewels and gems. Then Madurai was raided by many other Muslim rulers. Madurai became a province of the Delhi Empire in the year 1323 which came under the rule of the Tughlaks.

The Vijayanagar Dynasty of Hampi came in the year 1371 to capture Madurai. In those days, the Vijayanagar Empire Kings has appointed people who were called by the name Nayaks to rule their places. In return the Nayaks paid some fixed amount to the Kings.

When Krishna Deva Raya, one of the Kings of the Vijayanagar Empire died in the year 1530 AD, the Nayaks took over the territories and began to rule them. Thirumalai Nayak is one of the famous Nayaks who is still famous among the people in Madurai. He ruled over the place from 1623 to. 1659. The Thirumalai Nayak has created many magnificent structures in the city like the Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace and the Pudu Mandapam which are still places visited by the people.

It was in the year 1781 that Madurai began to be ruled by the British and the first collector for Madurai was George Procter. In the early days Madurai and Dindugal were situated in the same district which was then separated.

Today in the state of Tamil Nadu, Madurai stands as an important city that connects the Northern and the Southern Tamil Nadu with 15 State Assembly constituencies and two parliament constituencies. Another famous thing that attracts people in Madurai is the Jasmine flowers. It is being sent to the other parts of India and also exported to foreign countries.

Madurai – The Athens of the East!

Madurai is one of the important cities in South India. The seventh largest city in Tamil Nadu, it is situated in the banks of river Vaigai. Endowed with a rich cultural heritage and glorious tradition, Madurai is grouped among the antique cities of the India. The history of Madurai dates back to 6th century B.C. During that period, the city was the much-acclaimed capital of the Pandya kings. Then, it functioned as an important commercial center of South India. It held sway over many small towns in the South.

Temples, monuments and ancient cultural wonders abound in Madurai. It is even called ‘The Athens of the East’. Madurai’s Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is one of the greatest architectural marvels of India. Built by Pandya King 'Kulasekara' and reconstructed later by Ruler Thirumalai Nayak, the temple has patronized literature, art, music and dance ever since its inception. The entire city is built around the Meenakshi Amman temple. Madurai Meenakshi temple attracts six thousand visitors a day and gets an annual revenue of rupees sixty million. It attained 26th place in the list of top nominees for the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Madurai is firmly anchored in Tamil literature and tradition. It is home to many poets and artisans and houses an abundance of literary wealth of both classical and modern Tamil. It was the seat of the Tamil Academy in the past. The city has been a centre for learning and pilgrimage for centuries. The three Tamil Sangams evolved and flourished here. The city’s ancient Tamil kings were great warriors, poets and connoisseurs of art. Tamil literature flourished because of their generosity and literary fervor.

In the past five years, Madurai has witnessed tremendous growth in infrastructure and residential property market. Madurai is also famous for textile market. The ‘Sungudi’ sarees, a particular type of gorgeous sarees, are Madurai’s best. Jasmine flowers of Madurai district are known all over the country. They carry a special fragrance unique to Madurai. Tons of flowers are exported to other countries for producing perfumes.

People in Madurai have high respect for the culture and tradition of the city. Ballads, folk dances and dramas are very popular. This city is the birth place of many famous personalities. It is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities of Tamil Nadu and rest of India. In brief, it is a beautiful and culturally-significant place to visit and enjoy.