Madurai, one of the important cities in South India, is the oldest inhabited city in the Indian peninsula. Located in the state of Tamil Nadu, in the banks river Vaigai, the city is endowed with a rich cultural heritage. In accord to a popular legend the name derives from the divine nectar (Madhu) that was showered from the locks of . It is referred with many names like Koodal Managar, Thoongaa Nagar (Sleepless City), Malligai Maanagar (City of Jasmine) and Athens of the East.
Legends said that Madurai was originally a forest known as Kadambavanam. One day the farmer Dhananjaya saw Indra, the king of the gods, when he was passing throung the forest, worshipping a swayambhu (self created Lingam) under Kadamba tree. He immediately reported this to King Kulasekara Pandya. Kulasekara Pandya cleared the forest and built a temple around the Lingam. A city was soon planned with the temple as its centre. On the day the city was to be named, Lord Shiva is said to have appeared and drops of nectar from his hair fell on the town. So, the place was named Madurai - mathuram meaning "sweetness" in Tamil.
Madurai City
The history dates back to 6th century BC, and during this period it was the capital of the Pandya kings. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial center even as early as 550 AD. In addition the city of Madurai is mentioned in Megasthene’s Indica who was an ancient Greek diplomat and envoy to India in the 3rd century BC, he wrote praises about this temple. During the Cholas reign and then during the Pandyas’ regime, the glory of Madurai reached its peak. During their period, many master-pieces were created. "Silapathikaram", the great epic in Tamil was written based on the story of Kannagi who burnt Madurai as a result of the injustice caused to her husband Kovalan. In April 1311, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khilji reached Madurai and raided and robbed the city for precious stones, jewels, and other rare treasures. This led to the subsequent raids by other Muslim Sultans. In 1323, the Pandya kingdom including Madurai became a province of the Delhi Empire, under the Tughlaks.
The 1371, the Vijayanagar dynasty of Hampi captured Madurai to became in part of the Vijayanagar empire. Thirumalai Nayak contributed to the creation of many magnificent structures in and around Madurai. The Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, The Pudu Mandapam and The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace are living monuments to his artistic fervor. Madurai started slipping into the hands of the British's East India Company. In 1781, British appointed their representatives to look after Madurai. George Procter was the first collector of Madurai.
Now after India's independence, Madurai is one of the major districts of Tamilnadu State. In 1984, the Vast Madurai district was bifurcated into two districts namely Madurai and Dindugul Districts. In Madurai District, there are 10 State Assembly constituencies and two parliament constituencies.
The Athens of the East holds many temples, monuments and ancient cultural wonders, but the entire city is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple, one of the greatest architectural marvels of India. Firmly the city forms part in Tamil literature and tradition; it is home to many poets and artisans and houses an abundance of literary of both classical and modern Tamil. The city’s ancient Tamil kings were great warriors, poets and connoisseurs of art.
Today Madurai is famous for textile market as well as its particular type of gorgeous sarees, the “Sungudi” are Madurai’s best. Malligai Maanagar or the City of Jasmine is known all over the country, the jasmine flowers carry a special fragance unique to Madurai and tons of them are exported to other countries for producing parfums.
People in Madurai have high respect for the culture and tradition of the city. Ballads, folk dances and dramas are very popular. The city is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities of Tamil Nadu and rest of India. Non doubt, it is a beautiful and culturally-significant place to visit and enjoy.