Where in the World?

Question: Where can you find 12 towers carrying thousands of gods and monsters, dedicated to a warrior goddess who gets a divine nightly visitor?

Answer: Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, India

While North India has the Taj Mahal, South India takes pride in its own iconic landmark: the Sri Meenakshi Temple of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The pyramid-shaped towers found on this 45-acre complex are typical of South Indian architecture—but it’s what you’ll find covering these structures that makes Sri Meenakshi delightfully unique: literally thousands of stone figures, carved in the shape of gods, demons, and animals, and painted in vibrant colors.

Also unique is the deity to whom the temple is devoted: the Hindu goddess Parvati (known as Meenakshi in her earthly form), consort of Shiva. Typically at temples, Shiva gets all the glory—but here, he plays second fiddle. In fact, every night at 9pm, a procession of devotees carries the image of Shiva to Meenakshi’s inner sanctum where she waits for her beloved.

It’s a fitting tribute to a child born of fire who grew up to conquer the world—almost. According to legend, a king, desperate to produce an heir, performed many fiery rituals in hopes that the gods might grant him a child. Finally, a three-year old girl emerged from the flames. At first, the king was disappointed that he was not blessed with a son—but a voice from the heavens instructed the new father to raise this girl as he would a boy.

The child, who came to be known as Meenakshi, learned the art of war and embarked upon a campaign to conquer all of India. After many victories on earth, she set her sights upon Mount Kailash: the abode of Lord Shiva. As soon as she laid eyes upon him, the mighty conqueror ceased her aggression—because she instantly fell in love.

Here are a few reasons why you’ll fall in love with this stunning temple complex:

• Sum of its parts: The 45-acre complex houses 12 towers (gopurams) and four separate entrances gates at each point of the compass—but non-Hindus must enter from the east. The sanctums for Meenakshi and Shiva lie at the heart of the complex, and a series of concentric enclosures emanate from this central point. In total, Sri Meenakshi contains an estimated 33,000 sculptures. The largest gopuram alone, which towers to the south of the complex at 170 feet tall, is covered with more than 1,500 carvings.


• Sacred stork: Near the center of the complex, devotees bathe themselves in the holy water of the Golden Lotus Tank. The tank contains no fish—according to legend, Shiva made a promise to an enlightened stork that fish would never swim here, as the stork believed it was a sin to eat them. In March of 2016, a stork appeared at the tank and stayed five days, which cause quite a stir amongst devotees. The stork sadly died soon after, and was buried on temple premises.


• Book review: While fish don’t swim in the Golden Lotus Tank, worthy works of literature once floated in it. Centuries ago—as early as the third century AD—Tamil scholars and poets sacrificed their writings to these waters, believing that superior work would float, while rejected manuscripts sank to the bottom.


• Old meets new: The Golden Lotus Tank is actually much older than the majority of the temple’s architecture. The earliest recorded mention of a shrine here dates to 300 B.C. It was expanded over the centuries, only to be partially destroyed by Muslim invaders in the 14th century AD. Many of the structures we see today date to the 16th century.


• Who’s counting: Among the most stunning of these recent additions is the Hall of a Thousand Pillars—which technically contains just 985, but the discrepancy does nothing to lessen the impact of this collection of exquisite carvings. Just outside the hall, you’ll find the Musical Pillars, each of which produces a different note when struck.


• Urban bloom: Today, the city of Madurai is an industrial and educational hub—but it has been a cultural center for the Tamil people since the third century B.C., making it one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Sri Meenakshi sits at its geographic center, and the city streets radiate from it "like lotus and its petals."


• Ladies’ choice: Every April, a million visitors descend upon the temple for the Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, which celebrates the marriage of Meenakshi and Shiva. This type of wedding, in which Meenakshi—the female—is the dominant figure, is referred to as "Madurai marriage."

Marvel at Sri Meenakshi Temple when you join O.A.T. on New! Soul of India: The Colorful South.