About Madurai

Madurai is built around the Koodal Azhagar temple and Meenakshi Temple, which acted as the geographic and ritual centre of the ancient city of Madurai. The city is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular streets around the temple.the first Madurai Nayak king, redesigned the city in accordance with the principles laid out by Shilpa Shastras related to urban planning.These squares retain their traditional names of Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to the Tamil month names and also to the festivals associated.

Madurai History and Growth...

Madurai is known as Athens of the East and a place of great historical and cultural importance. It was originally known as Kadambavanam or the "forest of Kadamba" or the Nauclea Kadamba. Madurai is home to several historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques. It is a pilgrimage centre and gateway to south Tamil Nadu having the world famous Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple at its core. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency. The city evolved as a political and industrial complex through the 19th and 20th centuries to become a district headquarters of a larger Madurai district.

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