Lying on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai is the oldest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Popularly known as Athens of the East, the city holds major historical and cultural importance. Madurai is also an important centre for learning for centuries. This vivacious city is renowned for its majestic temples and invites devotees from all parts of the world.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva appeared in the dream of Kulasekhara Pandya, the ruler. The king was astonished to see drops of nectar (Madhu) falling on earth from Lord Shiva's knotted hair. The nectar or madhu was extremely sweet in taste and therefore the place where it fell came to be known as Madhurapuri and with the course of time was named "Madurai." There also exists the evidences of which records its existence from the 4th century B.C. The city is also sometimes referred as the Glory of the Pandayas.
Madurai is the true preserver of the Dravidian and Tamil culture and is also famous for sheltering one of the five traditional dance halls where Lord Siva, in his form as the Velli Ambalam is situated. The city is an important centre for learning, mills and dyeing industry and various other industries. One can find excellent artifacts like brassware, bronze items, handicrafts and wooden toys sprawling all over the city. The Chungadi cotton sarees are the speciality of the city.
The easy accessibility to Madurai owes to the efficient railways and airways. The online flight booking and train ticket booking helps people tremendously. Various airlines and other travel websites offer convenient flight ticket booking. Madurai is crowded almost in all seasons of the year therefore it is recommended to book the train and flight tickets in advance.
The Sri Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple is an important landmark of Madurai. This temple has been able to draw devotees and pilgrims from all parts of the world. The temple is believed to have exited 2000 years ago and was later expanded during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak. Dedicated to Lord Shiva as an incarnation of Sundareshwar and his wife Meenakshi, this temple is adorned with striking features. Ayiramkaal mandapam or the Hall of a thousand pillars is amongst one of the most prominent features of this majestic temple. Your trip to Madurai will be incomplete without patying himage to Meenakshi Temple.
Another significant structure found in Madurai isThirumalai Nayak Mahal. This palace is situated 1.5kms from the Meenakshi and is an impressive piece of marvel. The daunting edifice is famous for the stuccowork on its domes and arches. The architecture style and the use of material is what make this palace special. The Celestial Pavilion is made entirely of brick and mortar without the support of a single girder. This Indo Saracenic architectural style has several striking features including massive white pillars lined in the corridor along the courtyard. The Entrance Gate, the Main Hall and the Dance Hall are worth seeing.
A celebrated Vishnu temple dedicated to Lord Alagar is situated at Alagarkoil near Madurai. The temple is situated on a hill and offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. The temple contains beautiful carvings which stuns the on-looker. Another important temple in Madurai is Koodal Azhagar . It is widely acclaimed Vaishnavite temple is known for its amazing architectural and sculptural magnificence. The Lord Vishnu can be seen here sitting posture or asana, standing posture or sthanaka and reclining posture or sayana.
Madurai is well-connected with all parts of the country by air and rail. The Madurai Airport is 6 miles from the city and currently there are 6 airlines that operate out from Madurai. There are 91 domestic flights and 21 international flights every week that fly out from Madurai. Devotees' flock Madurai in all seasons, therefore advance
flight ticket booking is recommended. The
flight booking can also be done online as most of the airlines provide this facility.
John Milon is an experienced article writer and has published many articles on the web regarding online ticket booking of Bus, Hotels and Flights. In this article, he has discussed about the online
flight ticket booking to Madurai. Visit Goibibo.com for more information.
