gopuras of Meenaksi Temple
This is the Meenaksi Sundareshvara Temple in Madurai which has been the heart and life of the Tamil people for 2500 years from ancient Madurai until today. It is hard to tell if the city or the temple have grown together as one, but it is evident as you wander from vendors straightway into the temple courtyard where people and animals are resting or sleeping in the shade of giant columns.
Spaced around the perimeter of the temple grounds are 12 gopuras or pyramidal gates rising more than 164 feet that mark the four direction entrances to the temple complex at the four cardinal points.
The solid granite bases are covered with stucco figures of deities, mythical animals, and monsters . The gopurs are all painted in a 12 year rotation using vivid Indian colors.
Enjoy a walk through this spectacular sacred architecture!
https://youtu.be/Ohl3_NQiRjY
This Is Incredible India!
Here is my post from my last time in the south of India !
https://talesalongtheway.com/2014/07/02/temple-towns-in-the-south-of-india/
TalesAlongTheWay 
Oh, finally you reached my native and I wish you had a good time around the temple!
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Hey Martin, I loved it, all except the burning bare feet on the hot, hot stones as we wandered! Maybe you can help me by telling me the name of the festival where Shiva and Meenaksi go to another temple for the wedding of their son. Huge parade at night with fireworks, dancing elephants, camels and floats. The parade was at the temple out from town where the wedding of Shiva’s son took place. I was looking for pictures and history of it all. I love those huge crowds and the energy and the joy of it all! If you don’t know, please don’t worry about it! It is forever in my brain, and just wanted some images and words to tell my readers! Big smiles. . .
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Oh great, This festival has started now and it’s called “Chitrai Thiruvila” or “Chitra Festival” . Chitra is the first month of the Tamil Calender.
Meenakshi ( alias Goddess Parvathi) is the sister of Lord Alagar ( incarnation of Lord Krishna).. Alagar stays in AlagarKoil ( a place near Madurai- both the name of Temple and the place is called “AlagarKoil” , koil=temple in tamil).
Alagar comes to Madurai to give away the dowry for his sister “Meenakshi”. So the festival is celebrated for a week, from Marriage to this event, and when Alagar return to Alagarkoil, everyday there will be celebration and where ever he stays before reaching the Alagarkoil, the celebration continues..
My granny from the place “alagarkoil” she knows more than me 😛
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Oh this is great MartIn! I saw Chittai but wasn’t sure. I don’t like to bore people with too many details, after all they research themselves if the are interested. Give your Granny a hug from me and bless your kind heart!
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😛 sure thanks
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Meenakshi Temple is one of my favorite temple i enjoy visiting it every year. It is a very treasured heritage of Indian culture. Thank you for sharing this post it was very helpful and informative.
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Such a memorable and beautiful temple. I am so glad you were happy with my post and that I did in a credible way! After all, I do love India!
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