| Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Madurai |
| Deity | |
| Festivals | Chithirai Thiruvizha, Navaratri, Cradle festival, Aavanimoolam, Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, Alagar's river plunge |
| Governing body | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Shown within Tamil Nadu  Meenakshi Temple (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 9°55′10.23″N 78°07′09.63″E / 9.9195083°N 78.1193417°E[1] |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture[2] |
| Inscriptions | over 40 |
| Elevation | 144 m (472 ft) |
| Website | |
| https://maduraimeenakshi.hrce.tn.gov.in/ | |
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River[3] in the temple city[4] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi Amman, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva.[5] The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts.[6] This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, which are 275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.
The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model based on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is designed.[7][8]
- ^ "9°55'10.23"N 78°07'09.63"E". Retrieved 22 October 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "This Temple Is Covered in Thousands of Colorful Statues". National Geographic. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- ^ Vijaya Ramaswamy (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 9–10, 103, 210, 363–364. ISBN 978-1-5381-0686-0.
- ^ Knott 2000, section 10.
- ^ Rajarajan Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine, R.K.K. 2005. Minaksi or Sundaresvara: Who is the first principle? South Indian History Congress Annual Proceedings XXV, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, pp. 551-553.
- ^ National Geographic 2008, p. 155.
- ^ Swaroop, Vishnu (7 November 2016). "Which Tamil Nadu temple is the state emblem?". The Times of India. Madurai: The Times Group. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Madhavan, Chitra (1–15 July 2011). "The artist who designed the State emblem". Madras Musings. XXI (6). Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.