Page 615 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

M ADUR AI  613

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Madurai district. 498 km
(309 miles) SW of Chennai.
* 923,000. n Tourist Office,
West Veli Road, (0452) 233 4757.
( Mon–Sat. _ Theppam
Festival (Jan/Feb), Avanimoolam
(Aug/Sep), Navaratri (Sep/Oct).
Transport
~ 12 km (7 miles) S of city
£ @,
A mural depicting a scene from the Ramayana, Alagarkoil Temple
is regarded as Minakshi’s brother.
Environs entrance mandapa has typical According to legend, when
Thiruparankundram, 6 km Nayaka-period pillars with horse Kallalagar went to give his sister
(4 miles) southwest of Madurai, and yali riders, while portraits of in marriage to Sundareshvara, he
is a small town known for its Nayaka rulers are carved on the stayed on the banks of the Vaigai
sacred granite hill. Regarded as columns. The temple’s main river during the ceremony. This
one of the six sacred abodes of sanctum contains five shrines. event is celebrated every year,
Murugan, the son of Shiva, the The 14-day temple festival, in April/May.
hill was the site of his marriage in March/April, celebrates the On the summit of the hill
to Devayani, the daughter of victory of Murugan over the is Palamudircholai,the last of
Indra. There is a rock-cut temple demon Suran, his coronation, the six abodes of Murugan,
here, built by the Pandyas in and his subsequent marriage marked by a shrine, while
the 8th century. The temple is to Devayani. further away is Nupura Ganga,
approached through a series The temple at Alagarkoil, a perennial spring, used for
of 17th- and 18th-century 21 km (13 miles) north of all rituals in the temple, and
mandapas, at ascending levels, Madurai, is dedicated to believed to have emerged
linked by stone steps. The Kallalagar, a form of Vishnu who from Vishnu’s ankle.

Madurai City Centre
1 Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple 0 metres 500
2 Thirumalai Nayakar Palace
3 Koodal Alagar Temple 0 yards 500
4 Anglican Cathedral

Central Bus Stand
6 km (4 miles) Tombs of the
KALPALAM ROAD VICTOR BRIDGE ALAGARKOIL
Madurai Sultans,
TAMIL SANGAM ROAD
N O R T H V E L I R O A D T A M I L S A N G A M R O A D ( N H 4 9 ) River Vaigai
V A K I L N E W S T R E E T
N O R T H M A S I S T R E E T

W E S T V E L I S T R E E T T O W N H A L L R O A D NORTH AVANI MOOLA ST EAST AVANI MOOLA ST E A S T V E L I S T R E E T
Minakshi
Railway W E ST M AR KE T ST RE ET WES T P ER UM AL MA I S T R Y R O A D W E S T M A S I S T R E E T W E S T A V A N I M O O L A S T Sundareshvara E A S T M A S I S T R E E T E A S T M A R R E T S T R E E T MUNICHALAI ROAD
Station
Temple
S O U T H A V A N I M O O L A S T R E E T
THIRUPARANKUNRAM S O U T H C H I T R A I S T R E E T Theppakulam
NE TA J I ROAD
Anglican S O U T H M A S I S T R E E T
SETC Bus Stand Cathedral
Thirumalai
W E S T V A D A M P O K K I S T R E E T Nayakar Palace P A L A C E R O A D OLD KOYAVAR PALAYAM ROAD
Koodal Alagar
Temple
Airport
12 km (7 miles)
For keys to symbols see back flap

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