Meenakshi Temple

Legend has it that King Malaydhwaj Pandya was the ruler of Madurai and Queen Kanchanmala was his wife. The Queen was a devotee of the Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. In her previous life she had desired that Parvati take birth as her daughter. Parvati granted her the wish but said that it would be fulfilled only in her next life. The couple was childless and the King was in need of an heir. He performed a sacrifice in order to obtain a son but out of the sacrificial fire came a young girl with three nipples. She was Meenakshi, the Fish-Eyed incarnation of Parvati. The King was dismayed at not getting a son and further dismayed at getting a daughter with an abnormality. But a divine voice proclaimed, "Consider this girl to be your heir and train her like you would your son. As for her third breast, it will disappear when she meets her future husband."

In due course Meenakshi was crowned ruler of Madurai and she embarked on a program of expansion. She annexed many kingdoms in her northward advance. Ultimately she reached the Kailash Mountain, the abode of Shiva. She defeated Shiva's army with such swiftness that Shiva was compelled to enter the fray himself. For a moment the adversaries stood face to face and then Meenakshi's third breast disappeared. She threw down her weapons and surrendered to her husband to be.

Shiva incarnated himself as Sundereshwara or the beautiful God, and accompanied Meenakshi to Madurai There the two got married in festivities that lasted for eight days. Sundereshwara became the King and Meenakshi his consort. Lord Sundereshwara ruled the Pandyan Kingdom for some years. During this period he performed several divine acts called Thiruvilayadals. After accomplishing many miracles, Lord Shiva incarnated his divine son, Murugan, as his mortal son. This boy was christened Ukkirapandian (Pandyan of Valour). After the coronation of this prince, the Lord in his mortal from and his consort Meenakshi entered the temple where they are worshipped to this day. It is said that the descendants of Sundereshwara and Meenakshi ruled Madurai till the middle of the sixteenth century.

Then the Nayak dynasty came to power and the next two hundred years were golden years for Madurai. Under the patronage of King Tirumal Nayak literature and the arts flourished. Many temples were constructed, each a master piece in itself. But by far the grandest was the Meenakshi temple dedicated to Sundereshwara and Meenakshi. There is perhaps no mythological legend that does not find expression in the intricate sculpture on its walls and columns. But by and large the temple is dedicated to dance and the various dance postures of Shiva are the highlights of the temple. And each statue has a story to tell.

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