This 16th-century pillared hall stands outside the Meenakshi Amman Temple, opposite the eastern gopuram. It's crammed with colourful textile and crafts stalls and tailors at sewing machines, partly hiding some of the fine pillar sculptures, but it's easy to spot the triple-breasted Meenakshi near the southeast corner, facing Sundareswarar (opposite), and their marriage, accompanied by Vishnu, just inside the western entrance. A handsome pale-blue Nandi (Shiva's vehicle) sits outside the mandapa's eastern entrance.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.13 MILES
The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi (‘fish-eyed’ – an epithet for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry) is generally…
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1.37 MILES
Housed in a 17th-century Nayak queen's palace, this impressive museum contains a moving, comprehensive account of Gandhi's life and India’s struggle for…
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0.44 MILES
What Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple is to Nayak religious architecture, Tirumalai Nayak's crumbling palace is to the secular. It’s said to be only a…
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0.07 MILES
Inside the eastern gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, you'll find the Nayak-period Thousand Pillared Hall (with 985 columns) on your right. Now the…
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1.92 MILES
This vast tank, 3km east of the old city, covers an area as big as the Meenakshi Amman Temple and is the site of the incredible annual Teppam (Float)…
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0.52 MILES
This 20th-century neo-Gothic construction's simple stained-glass windows and bold-orange vaulting are offset by a magnificent blue-and-white exterior with…
-
1.38 MILES
Attached to the very interesting Gandhi Memorial Museum, this is a sadly neglected collection of archaeological finds, sculpture, bronzes, costumes and…
Nearby Madurai attractions
0.07 MILES
Inside the eastern gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, you'll find the Nayak-period Thousand Pillared Hall (with 985 columns) on your right. Now the…
0.13 MILES
The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi (‘fish-eyed’ – an epithet for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry) is generally…
0.44 MILES
What Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple is to Nayak religious architecture, Tirumalai Nayak's crumbling palace is to the secular. It’s said to be only a…
0.52 MILES
This 20th-century neo-Gothic construction's simple stained-glass windows and bold-orange vaulting are offset by a magnificent blue-and-white exterior with…
1.37 MILES
Housed in a 17th-century Nayak queen's palace, this impressive museum contains a moving, comprehensive account of Gandhi's life and India’s struggle for…
1.38 MILES
Attached to the very interesting Gandhi Memorial Museum, this is a sadly neglected collection of archaeological finds, sculpture, bronzes, costumes and…
1.92 MILES
This vast tank, 3km east of the old city, covers an area as big as the Meenakshi Amman Temple and is the site of the incredible annual Teppam (Float)…