Introduction
about Madurai
If you are touring temple cities, then the city of Madurai is going to be a
high point of your religious tours to the sacred cities of India. Situated
on the banks of river Vaigai in Tamil Nadu, although Madurai is known as
industrial town, it is more of a temple town. When you arrive in Madurai,
you are greeted by the splendid Gopurams of the Meenakshi temple. The
temple, anyway, is a hub for all the activities taking place in the town be
it festivities, processions and grandeur of the temple. The city was
prominent even in the ancient times and it was even known as the Athens of
the East.
Tourist Attractions of Madurai
» Meenakshi Temple : The temple is located at the
heart of the city of Madurai and is the focus of national as well as
international tourists' attention. It is central to the religious as well as
to the cultural life of the city of Madurai. The temple is a very fine
example of the Dravidian architecture complete with its gopurams which is
nothing but large gateways and halls where you can see fine carvings of
mythical figures on the walls of these multi pillared large halls otherwise
known as Mandapams.
» Koodal Alagar Temple : Situated only 2 km away
from Madurai, it is a Vaishnavaite temple which has many beautiful
sculptures depicting Lord Vishnu in various poses.
» Azhagar Koil : It is situated at the distance of
about 21 km from Madurai and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is located atop
a hill called Alagarmalai.
» Mariamman Teppakulam Tank : This enormous temple
tank, which is the largest tank of its kind in entire Tamil Nadu, is located
at the distance of about 5 km from the famous Meenakshi Temple of Madurai.
There is a Mandapam in the centre of the tank where you can worship the
image of Lord Vigneshwara. This idol was found here when the place was being
dug to construct the Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace.
» Gandhi Museum : This museum is located in the
Tamukkam Palace of Rani Mangammal of the Nayak Dynasty. Earlier, the place
used to be the official residence of the district collectors of Madurai. It
was in 1955 that the building and the 12 acre land were given to Gandhi
Smarak Nidhi by the then Tamil Nadu Government. The museum has a noteworthy
collection of remarkable paintings, sculptures, articles and Khadi crafts.
» Tirumalai Nayak Palace : Built in the 17th
century by the King Thirumalai Nayak, the palace is a huge structure built
in the Indo-Saracenic style. It is said that today only one-fourth part of
the original structure has survived which includes the Swargavilasa and the
Rangavilasa. The palace was partially renovated by the then Governor of
Madras, Lord Napier.
Introduction
Rameshwaram is an island famous for the temple of Lord Rama. It is
definitely a pilgrimage for the Hindus but at the same time, it is also a
very popular holiday spot for vacationers as well. The island covers an area
of about 61.8 square km and when you look at the island from a height, it
appears to be in the shape of a conch.
Attraction Places of Rameshwaram
» Ramanathaswamy Temple : It is an excellent example
of Dravidian architecture and is specially known for its splendid corridors
lined with massive pillars. It is said that it was here that Lord Rama
worshipped Lord Shiva after the battle of Lanka.
» Adam's Bridge : The chain of reefs, sandbanks and
islets between India and Sri Lanka is known as Adam's Bridge. It is believed
that these were used by Lord Hanuman as stepping stones when he was going to
Lanka.
» Dhanushkodi Beach : It is the best beach in the
vicinity which you can have almost for yourself since most of the pilgrims
use the Agni Teertham, the seashore which is closer to the temple.
» Kothandaswamy Temple : This temple is located at
Dhanushkodi, which is at the distance of 8 km from Rameshwaram. There are
many events in the epic Ramayana which are associated with the place. The
region was devastated by cyclone in 1964 though the temple survived the
calamity.
» Gandamadana Parvatham : This is a hillock located
towards the north of the main temple in Rameshwaram. Here you'll see a two
storeyed Mandapam where the devotees come mainly to get a glimpse of Lord
Rama's Padam on a chakra.
Introduction
Just go to the southern most tip of the Indian sub continent and you have
reached Kanyakumari, the place where the three oceans, the Bay of Bengal,
the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. The place is famous for the
temple dedicated to Kanyakumari, the youthful form of the Goddess Shakthi.
Kanyakumari is also known for being the place where Swami Vivekananda
meditated upon a rock. Thus the place has become a major Hindu pilgrimage
centre along with being a famous tourism destination for wonderful views of
sunset and sunrise.
Tourist Attractions Places of Kanyakumari
» Kumari Amman Temple : This temple is dedicated to
Goddess Parvathi who is worshiped in the form of Devi Kanya, the virgin
Goddess.
» Gandhi Memorial : Located in the vicinity of the
Kumari Amman Temple, this was the place where the ashes of the father of the
nation, Mahatma Gandhi was kept for public viewing before a portion of it
was immersed in the confluence of the three seas.
» Vivekanand Rock : The Vivekananda memorial was
constructed in 1970 in the memory of Swami Vivekananda, and is located on
what is now known as the Vivekanand Rock. It is about 500 meters away from
the mainland and it was here that Swami Vivekanand meditated for a while.
There is a meditation hall attached with the memorial as well.
