Madurai

• Meditation:

1. उद्यद्भानुसहस्रकोटिसदृशां केयूरहारोज्ज्वलां
विम्बोष्ठीं स्मितदन्तपङ्क्तिरुचिरां पीताम्बरालङ्कृताम् ।
विष्णुब्रह्मसुरेन्द्रसेवितपदां तत्त्वस्वरूपां शिवां
मीनाक्षीं प्रणतोऽस्मि सन्ततमहं कारुण्यवारांनिधिम् ॥
- Meenakshi Pancharatnam - verse 1 (Devi Meenakshi is the presiding deity of Madurai)

Devi Meenakshi temple, Madurai, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu

► Meenakshi: I meditate on Devi Meenakshi abiding in Madurai (located on the bank of river Vaigai).

• Stotra: Meenakshi Pancharatnam (Devi Meenakshi is the presiding deity of Madurai)
(Madurai district, Tamil Nadu)

• Greatness:

• Madurai is primarily a Devi Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Devi):
- Devi Meenakshi married Lord Shiva in this place.

• Madurai is also a Shiva Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Shiva):
- Lord Shiva (as Lord Sundareshwarar) married Devi Meenakshi in this place.
- Madurai is a Paadal Petra Sthalam (Glorified by Nayanmars) [Thiru Aalavai] (Lord Sundareshwarar)

• Madurai is also a Vishnu Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Vishnu):
- Lord Vishnu (as Sri Azhagar) abides in this place which is a Divya Desam (Glorified by Alvars) [Thirumaliruncholai] (Sri Azhagar)

• Madurai is also a Skanda Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Skanda):
- Sri Murugan (Skanda) abides in this place which has two Arupadai Veedu (Six holy abodes of Sri Muruga) [Thirupparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani, Pazhamudircholai] [Thirupparankundram] [Pazhamudircholai] (Sri Subramanya Swamy)

• Sacred Geography:

▬ River Vaigai flows

• Puranic Events:

• Legend of Devi Meenakshi: According to legend, Vidyavati was an ardent devotee of Devi Parvati. Moved by her devotion, Goddess Parvati appeared before her in the form of a young girl and told her to ask for a boon. Vidyavati asked the boon that the Goddess be born as her daughter in the same form as she has appeared before her. Goddess Parvati told her that in her next birth when she (Vidyavati) will be the wife of Malayathuvasa Pandyan, She will be born as her daughter. Vidyavati was born as Kanchanamalai in her next birth and was married to king Malayathuvasan. They had no sons. In order to get a son, they performed a yagna. From the sacrificial fire, a three year old girl came out. Malayathuvasan was disappointed that he did not get a son. Also the girl has three breasts. A divine voice said that the girl be named as Thadathagai, and She should be brought up like a son. Her third breast would disappear when She will meet her husband. So the girl was brought up like a prince. When She came of age, the king performed her coronation as his successor. Thadathagai embarked on a march of conquests and everywhere She was victorious. Finally She marched to Mount Kailash, an abode of Lord Shiva. She defeated the Bhootaganas. Finally Shiva appeared in the scene of the battle. When Thadathagai saw Lord Shiva, her face lighted up, her third breast disappeared and She stood still. Lord Shiva told Her to return to the capital where He promised to come to marry Her on the eighth day. The divine marriage was celebrated in Madurai, which was attended by the devas and the sages.

• Thirumaliruncholai Divya Desam: Madurai district has one of the 108 Divya Desams known as Thirumaliruncholai Divya Desam (Azhagar Koil).

• Thirupparankundram: Thirupparankundram is one of the Arupadai Veedu temples in the Madurai district.

• Pazhamudircholai: Pazhamudircholai is one of the Arupadai Veedu temples in the Madurai district.

• Temples (Summary):

• Devi:
- Devi Meenakshi

• Shiva:
- Sri Sundareshwarar

• Vishnu:
- Sri Azhagar

• Murugan:
- Thirupparankundram Subramanya Swamy
- Pazhamudircholai Subramanya Swamy

• Location:

• Madurai Meenakshi Temple is located in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu.

Bharatavarsha - The Land of Gods and Sages:

• Stotras

• Scriptures

• Pilgrimages - by Groups - by Deities - by States - by Geography

• Sacred Geography - Mountains - Rivers

• Festivals

• Sages - Hermitages - Penances

• Saints - Ramakrishna - Vivekananda - Ramana

• Sadhana

• Sanskrit

• Nature

• Arts and Sciences

• Bharatavarsha - Puranic History - Puranic Lineage