About Temple:
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as the Meenakshi Amman Temple, is a renowned Hindu temple located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. This historic temple is devoted to Lord Shiva (also referred to as Sundareswarar or the Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (known as Meenakshi). With over 2500 years of history, this temple holds great significance in the city of Madurai. Its remarkable architecture showcases the exceptional skills of Vishwakarma Brahmins in sculpting this masterpiece. Within its premises, there are 14 splendid Gopurams (towers), adorned with intricate carvings and paintings, including two golden towers dedicated to the main deities.
History
While the complete history of the original structure remains a mystery, Tamil literature has documented its existence for thousands of years. The temple was mentioned by Thirugnanasambandar, a revered Hindu saint in 7th century, where he refers to the deity as Aalavai Iraivan. Unfortunately, the temple was ravaged by Malik Kafur in 1310 during his invasion and all ancient artifacts were lost. It was [Arya Natha Mudaliyar] who took it upon himself to restore the temple to its former glory.
