Located at the heart of the city, the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. It is the hub of the religious and cultural life of the city.
This pre-Christian era temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya. However, it was in ruins before it was rebuilt by Tirumalai Nayak who brought back the glory to this magnificent structure.
The Meenakshi temple is an excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams (large gateways) and mandapams (multi-pillared halls) covered from top to bottom in a profusion of multi-coloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. Spread over six hectares, the temple has four entrances to it.
Of its 12 gopurams, four of the tallest stand at the outer walls of the temple. The 48.4-m-high southern gopuram is the most spectacular and has over 1,500 sculptures. You can even climb the gopuram to get a panoramic view of the city.
