Madurai is the third largest
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in the Indian state of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the
Pandyan KingdomThe Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
. It is the administrative headquarters of
Madurai DistrictMadurai district is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. The city of Madurai serves as the district headquarters. It houses the world famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple and is situated on the banks of river Vaigai. Thiruparankundram is one of the major...
and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and Madurai Nayak kings in the Dravidian style of architecture. It is also one of India's prominent Hindu pilgrimage centres.
Madurai's recorded history goes back to the 3rd century BC and the city is mentioned by
MegasthenesMegasthenes was a Greek ethnographer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica.He was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. However the exact date of his embassy is uncertain...
, the Greek ambassador to India and Kautilya, the minister of the Mauryan Emperor
Chandragupta MauryaChandragupta Maurya , was the founder of the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta succeeded in conquering most of the Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta is considered the first unifier of India and its first genuine emperor...
. The city was the principal administrative and cultural centre of the Pandyan dynasty which ruled over the southern parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala till the first half of the 14th century AD. In about 1311, the Pandyan dynasty was overthrown by the
Delhi SultanateThe Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
which established the province of Ma'bar which later became independent as the Ma'bar Sultanate. When the Ma'bar Sultanate began to decline in the latter years of the 14th century, Madurai was absorbed into the Vijayanagar Empire. The viceroys of the Vijayanagar Empire established the Madurai Nayak kingdom and ruled as independent kings from 1559 to 1736. After a brief period of occupation by
Chanda SahibChanda Sahib was the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. His birth name is Husayn Dost Khan. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he worked as a Dewan. He belonged the Muslim Nait community which had ruled the Carnatic under the Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan...
and the
Carnatic kingdomNawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
, Madurai was annexed by the
British East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1801.
Etymology
The city has been variously referred to as "Madurai", "Naan maada Koodal", "Koodal Nagar", "Thirvalavai", and "Aalavai". Many theories have been suggested for the name of Madurai. Prominent among them is the one which traces the name to the Tamil word
Madhura (
Sweetness). Another popular theory is that the name is the derivation of the word
Marutham, which refers both to a species of trees that grew on the banks of the River Vaigai and a type of landscape of the
Sangam ageThe Sangam landscape is the name given to a poetic device that was characteristic of love poetry in classical Tamil Sangam literature. The core of the device was the categorisation of poems into different tiṇais or modes, depending on the nature, location, mood and type of relationship...
. According to legend, the original city of Madurai, called
Then Madurai (
Madurai of South), was destroyed by a
tsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
in ancient
Kumari KandamKumari Kandam is the name of a supposed sunken landmass referred to in existing ancient Tamil literature...
, after which the city moved inland to its present location. Apart from the current city, there is a town in the neighbouring
Dindigul districtDindigul District is an administrative region in the south of Tamil Nadu, India. The district was carved out of Madurai District in the year 1985...
called Vada Madurai (
North Madurai) and another in Sivagangai district called
ManamaduraiManamadurai is a panchayat town in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Manamadurai is located at It has an average elevation of 70 metres .shops-Demographics:...
. The different names by which the city has been referred to historically are listed in the 17th-century poem
Thiruvilayaadal puraanam (
Thiruvalavai Maanmiyam) written by Paranjothi Munivar. One legend says that on the day the city was to be named, Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. The city hence came to be known as
Madhurapuri meaning
The City of Divine Nectar. The legend is likely a late tale attempting to Sanskritise the otherwise-Dravidian derivative of
Madurai. Madurai is sometimes called
Thoonga Nagaram (
the city that never sleeps) because it has the appearance of operating twenty four hours a day. Unusually for India, a large number of the city's food outlets remain open well past midnight.
History
Madurai has a long and well recorded history. As early as the 3rd century BC,
MegasthenesMegasthenes was a Greek ethnographer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica.He was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. However the exact date of his embassy is uncertain...
visited, the city being referred to as "Methora" in his accounts. The city is also mentioned in Kautilya's
ArthashastraThe Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy which identifies its author by the names Kautilya and , who are traditionally identified with The Arthashastra (IAST: Arthaśāstra) is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and...
. Madurai has been described as the seat of the Pandyan Dynasty in
Sangam literatureSangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
(especially in
Maturaikkāñci). The city is also described extensively in the 2nd-century CE epic
Silapathikaram. The city was home to the third and last Tamil Sangam (between 300 BCE and 200 CE). Madurai finds mention in the works of
RomanAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
historians
Pliny the YoungerGaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
and
PtolemyClaudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
and those of the
GreekThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
geographer
StraboStrabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
. It is also mentioned in the
Periplus of the Erythraean SeaThe Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
.
After the Sangam age, most of present day Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, came under the rule of the Kalabhras dynasty, who were ousted by the Pandyas around 550 CE. The Pandyas were in their turn removed from power by the
Chola dynastyThe Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
during the early 9th century. The city remained under control of the Cholas until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital. After the death of the last Pandyan ruler, Kulasekara Pandian, Madurai came under the rule of the
Delhi SultanateThe Tughlaq dynasty of north India started in 1321 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq. The Tughluqs were a Muslim family of Turkic origin...
. The
Madurai SultanateThe Madurai Sultanate or the Ma'bar Sultanate was a short lived independent Muslim kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India during the 14th century CE. It lasted from 1335 until 1378...
, then seceded from Delhi and functioned as an independent kingdom till its destruction by the Vijayanagar Empire in 1378. Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar in 1559 under the
NayaksThe Madurai Nayaks or Nayak Dynasty of Madurai were rulers of a region comprising most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital...
. Nayak rule ended in 1736 and Madurai changed hands several times between
Chanda SahibChanda Sahib was the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. His birth name is Husayn Dost Khan. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he worked as a Dewan. He belonged the Muslim Nait community which had ruled the Carnatic under the Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan...
,
Arcot NawabNawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
and
Muhammed Yusuf KhanMuhammad Yusuf Khan or Maruthanayagam Pillai was born in Pannaiyur, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India in 1725. From humble beginnings, he became a warrior in the Arcot troops, later Commandant for the British East India Company troops...
(
MarudhanayagamMarudhanayagam is a long-delayed high budget Tamil film directed and produced by Kamal Haasan. The film, which started in October 1997 with an exclusive launch by Queen Elizabeth II, originally pulled together several prominent names across Indian cinema as its principal cast and crew...
) in the middle of the 18th century.
In 1801 the
British East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
took direct control of Madurai and brought it under the
Madras PresidencyThe Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. In 1837, the city was expanded to accommodate the growing population by demolishing the fortifications around the temple. This was done on the orders of the then collector John Blackburn. The moat was drained and the debris was used to construct the new streets - Veli, Marat and Perumaal Mesthiri streets. The city was constituted as a municipality in 1866.
Madurai played a role in the
Indian independence movementThe term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. It was there that Gandhi made the decision to switch to wearing a loin cloth after seeing agricultural laborers wearing it. The independence movement in Madurai was led by leaders such as N. M. R. Subbaraman, Mohammad Ismail Sahib and Meer Niyamatullah Ibrahim Sahib. Post-independence, the city has expanded particularly to the north of river Vaigai by the development of new residential neighbourhoods like Anna Nagar and K. K. Nagar.
Geography and climate
Madurai is located at 9.93°N 78.12°E Madurai city is situated at a distance of 498 kilometres (309.4 mi) south-west of
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, the capital of Tamil Nadu. It is situated at a distance of 161 kilometres (100 mi) from Tiruchirappalli, 367 kilometres (228 mi) from
CoimbatoreCoimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and 241 kilometres (149.8 mi) north of Kanniyakumari. It has an average elevation of 101 metres. The city of Madurai lies on the flat and fertile plain of the river Vaigai which runs in the north-south direction through the city dividing it almost into two equal halves. The Sirumalai and Nagamalai hills lie to the north and west of Madurai. The land in and around Madurai is utilized largely for agricultural activity which is fostered by the Periyar Dam.
The municipal corporation of Madurai has an area of 147.99 km
2. The climate is dry and hot, with Northeast monsoon rains during October–December. Temperatures during summer reach a maximum of 40 and a minimum of 26.3 °C, though temperatures over 43 °C are not uncommon. Winter temperatures range between 29.6 and 18 °C. The average annual rainfall is about 85 cm. The city is surrounded by Tirumangalam, Tiruparankunram,
MelurMelur is a town and a municipality in the Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Melur is called Thaikramam . It is the biggest taluk within the Madurai District....
, Anaiyur,
AvaniapuramAvaniapuram is a municipality in Madurai district on the state of Tamil Nadu, India.-Demographics: India census, Avaniapuram had a population of 51,587. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%....
Municipalities.
Architecture
Madurai is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple. Concentric rectangular streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos. The entire city is laid out in the shape of a
lotusLotus identifies various plant taxa:* Nelumbo, a genus of aquatic plants with showy flowers** Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred or Indian lotus** Nelumbo lutea, the American or Yellow lotus...
. Some of these rectangular streets are named after months in the
Tamil calendarThe Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
. The six major rectangular streets around Meenakshi temple are Chittirai, Aadi, Aavani Moola, Maasi, Maarat and Veli streets.
Demographics
An inhabitant of Madurai is known as a Maduraiite. The 2001 census showed that the city corporation had a population of 928,869, while that of the Madurai urban agglomeration was 1,203,095. In Madurai, males constitute 50.53% of the population and females 49.46%. The city has an average literacy rate of 77.6%, higher than the national average of 64.5%. Male literacy is 82.2%, and female literacy is 72.9%. 10,7% of the population is under 6 years of age. The
sex ratioSex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
is 979 females per 1,000 males. slightly higher than the national average of 944. In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 283.2 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.1% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. Madurai ranked 19th among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes. In 2001, the population density in the city was 17,100 per km2 (44,200 per mi²).
A government order was issued which would cause a substantial expansion of the area defined as Madurai by merging various surrounding areas into it . However, the whether or not this will be implemented remains uncertain as at summer 2011.
Madurai TamilMadurai Tamil is the dialect spoken in the city of Madurai and over a vast geographical area of South Tamil Nadu, the area once ruled by the Pandiya Kings...
is the standard dialect spoken. Other languages spoken are
SourashtraSourashtra or "Sourashtras" or ꢱꣃꢬꢵꢰ꣄ꢜ꣄ꢬꢵ refers to a community of people who had their original homes in Gujarat and presently settled almost in all major Towns of Tamil Nadu and are concentrated more in Madurai which is considered as their cultural Headquarters.They have also settled in...
,
UrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Civic administration
Madurai city is administered by the
Municipal CorporationA municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
. Formed in 1971, this was the second corporation established in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. The mayor is responsible for the day-to-day running of the municipal school board, the city bus service, the municipal hospital, and the city library. The city serves as the headquarters of Madurai district.
The city is also the seat of a bench of the
Madras High CourtThe Madras High Court is a senior court located at Chennai , in India. The court buildings, which are believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, are located near the beach, in one of the city's major business districts....
, being one of only a few that exist outside the state capitals of India. It started functioning in July 2004.
The corporation received several awards in 2008 for implementing development works.
Rail
The
Madurai JunctionMadurai Junction is one of the Major Railway junction in South India and the Head Quarters of Madurai railway division. It is well connected with all Major cities in India. Madurai division is the Second largest by revenue in Southern Railway.-Facilities:...
is one of the busiest in the country. Madurai division has repeatedly received the award for being the best-maintained station in the
Southern RailwayThe Southern Railway is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging three state railways namely Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway...
. Madurai Railway Division is the second largest revenue generating division in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
next only to Chennai. There are capacity pressures relating to passenger numbers. As a consequence of this, Southern Railway plans to modify and extend the Madurai Junction.
The state government has announced Mono rail project for Madurai.
The railway stations in the Madurai area are
Madurai JunctionMadurai Junction is one of the Major Railway junction in South India and the Head Quarters of Madurai railway division. It is well connected with all Major cities in India. Madurai division is the Second largest by revenue in Southern Railway.-Facilities:...
,
Koodal NagarKoodal Nagar is a Tamil film directed by first-timer Seenu Ramasamy. Bharath, Bhavana and Sandhya are playing the lead roles. Bharath is playing dual role in this movie.-Plot:...
,
SamayanallurSamayanallur is a small town located on National Highway 7, 12 Kilometers from Madurai, TamilNadu, India. The main town just lies between the strip formed by the NH7 and Rail Track. On the south side is the river Vaigai and on the north side is Todaneri Lake...
,
SholavandanSholavandan is a panchayat town in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located at the bank of Vaigai River. It is one among the 12 "town- panchayats" of Madurai district.- Etymology :...
,
VadipattiVadipatti is a panchayat town in the Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics:As of a 2001 Indian census, Vadipatti had a population of 21,780. Males and females each constitute 50% of the population. Vadipatti has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national...
, East Madurai, Silaiman,
TirupuvanamThirubuvanam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Thirubuvanam had a population of 14,139. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Thirupuvanam has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average...
,
ThiruparankundramThiruparankundram is a panchayat town in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This Panchayat has been added to the Madurai Corporation and the first local body election for Corporation was held on 18th Oct 2011.-Demographics:...
, Tirumangalam, Chekanoorani, and
UsilampattiUsilampatti is a Town and a municipality in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the comparatively rich towns of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:...
.
Road
Madurai has several major bus stands, including the Madurai Integrated Bus Terminus (MIBT) at
MattuthavaniMattuthavani, is a locality in the outskirts of Madurai city, which served as a trade point for Cows, Bulls and Calves. To cater to the growing population of the city, this locality is well utilised for the construction of Integrated Bus stand, Flower Market, Central Vegetable market along with the...
and those at
ArappalayamArappalayam is an area in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu State, India. It is on the south bank of the River Vaigai. Arappalyam comes under the Madurai West constituency. The PIN Code for Arasaradi-Arappalaym is 625016....
and Periyar. Between them, these provide transport both within the city and to numerous destinations across south India. Three-wheeled, referred to as autos, are available for travel with in the city. MIBT has pre-paid auto counter where commuters can pay fixed auto-fare depends on destination and hire. Madurai is connected by several National Highways. These include NH 7, NH 45B and NH 49.
Air
Madurai AirportMadurai Airport is fourth largest airport in Tamil Nadu and serves Madurai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The airport is located about from the Madurai railway station. The airport was established in 1957. -Airport specifications:...
is located 12 kilometers from the city. It offers domestic flights to major cities and there are plans to introduce international services. Among the carriers operating from the site are Spice Jet, Jet Air Ways, Kingfisher Airlines and Air India.
The airport has handled 3 lakhs passengers between the period Jan 2009 to Oct 2009 and it is approved for the unloading and loading of export and import baggage.
Education
Madurai has a literacy rate and human development index above the state average.
Madurai Kamaraj UniversityMadurai Kamaraj University also abbreviated MKU is a public university in India.-Overview:Madurai Kamaraj University, located in Madurai city established in 1966, has 18 schools comprising 72 departments. The Directorate of Distance Education of the University has a student strength of about 1.3...
is situated in Madurai. It pioneered the concept of
distance educationDistance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
in India. The university was accorded the status of "University with Potential for Excellence". There is also
Madurai Medical CollegeMadurai Medical College is a medical school attached to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. The hospital provides tertiary care to more than twenty million people in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. The hospital was established in 1842 and became a teaching hospital in 1954...
, a government homoeopathic medical college and hospital, an agricultural college and research institute, a law college, and many colleges for engineering, arts and science, such as
Thiagarajar College of EngineeringThiagarajar College of Engineering , Madurai, is an ISO 9001:2008 certified Autonomous institution located in Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. It is affiliated to Anna University, Chennai. It is one of the several educational and philanthropic institutions founded by Philanthropist and Industrialist...
.
Anna University of Technology, MaduraiAnna University of Technology, Madurai is a technological university located at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established on 1 February 2007 as a result of a decision to split Anna University into six universities, namely, Anna University, Chennai, Anna University of Technology, Chennai, Anna...
, controlling the districts of Madurai,Theni,Dindugul,Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Virudhunagar.
Madura CollegeThe Madura College is among the oldest academic institutions in Madurai, India....
,
The American College in MaduraiThe American College, often referred to as American College, is one of the oldest colleges present in India. It is located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, south of India. It was founded in 1881 by American Christian missionaries.The college is situated in Madurai, the second largest city in Tamil Nadu...
,
M.S.S.Wakf Board CollegeM.S.S.Wakf Board College is a Muslim minority institution and the only college in India run by the Wakf Board and the first Muslim institution in Madurai and its among the oldest academic institutions in Madurai...
and
Lady Doak CollegeLady Doak College is the first women's college in Madurai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was founded in 1948 by Katie Wilcox, an American missionary near Tallakulam in Madurai. Today there are around 3200 students...
are among the oldest institutions of Madurai. Thiagarajar School of Management is devoted to Management Studies. There are 3 government polytechnic colleges in madurai,including
Tamilnadu polytechnic college . There are also significant number of Hotel Management & Catering institutes in the city.
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (India)CIPET or Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology is an autonomous institute under the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, ministry of chemicals and fertilizers, Government of India.-The institute:...
HI-TECH central government institute in madurai.
Madurai has many schools, polytechnics and Industrial training institutes (ITIs).
Healthcare
The city is served by the Government Rajaji Hospital, among others. The AIIMS hospital was being constructed at Thoppur, Madurai with a proposed completion date of September 2010.
There are numerous private hospitals - such as Aravind Eye Hospital, Apollo Specialty Hospital, Bose Hospital and Meenakshi Mission Hospital - which attract people to the city.
Meenakshi-Sundareswar Temple
The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple was originally built by the early Pandya King Kulasekara. It is one of the greatest Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. According to legend, Natarajar performed a dance raising his right leg in Madurai. (Kaal maari Aadiya Natarajar). Shiva was very happy with the temple construction and performed a different dance. This is the temple which is believed to have survived when
KannagiKannagi or , a legendary Tamil woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King of Madurai, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan, by cursing the city with disaster.-The story:Kovalan, the son of a...
burned the city.
Kazimar Big Mosque and Maqbara
Kazimar
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
(masjid) was the first Muslim place of worship in the city. It was constructed under the supervision of Kazi Syed Tajuddin, who came from
OmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, received the piece of land from the then Pandya ruler King Ku(lasekara) Pandiyan during the 13th century and is believed to be a descendant of the prophet Muhammed. It is also the second oldest mosque in Tamil Nadu and is known as
Periya Pallivasal (Big Mosque). The descendants of Kazi Syed Thajuddin, who was appointed Kazi of the sultans, are known as the
Huqdars (Share holders). They have managed the mosque since his time and have lived in the locality of
Kazimar StreetKazimar Street is an ancient street in Madurai, India, where people inhabited during 13th century AD. Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajuddin is the one who settled here after preaching Islam in South India.99.2% population of this street are Muslims and 0.8% Hindus.The famous Kazimar periya pallivasal which is...
for more than 700 years. They are known as Syeds and among them are appointed Kazis to the Government of Tamil Nadu till today. The
dargahA Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
of Madurai Hazrats called as Madurai Maqbara is located inside the mosque.
Thiruparankundram
The legend is that Murugan married Deivanai at Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple, which also is the first among the Six Holy
AbodeAbode may refer to:*House, a human-built dwelling with enclosing walls, a floor, and a roof**Right of abode*World of Two Moons aka Abode, a fictional Earth-type planet featured in the comic book Elfquest...
s of Murugan (Arupadai Veedu, literally "Six Battle Camps"). This cave temple is much older than the Meenakshi temple. On Fridays women place candles or sit around the temple floor and create
kolams or
rangoli patterns on the ground using coloured powders, ash and flowers as an offering to Durga.
A durga is located at the top of the hill, where the grave of an Islamic saint, Hazrat Sultan Sikandhar Badushah Shaheed Radiyallah Ta'al anhu, who came from
JeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
along with Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Badushah of Madinah during the early 13th century, is found. Irrespective of religion, people from all parts of Tamil Nadu and from Kerala visit this durgah. People who visit the Ervadi Durgah in Ramanathapuram district are supposed to visit this durgah. The Anniversary urus festival of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandar badusha Shaheed is commemorated on 17th night of the Islamic month of
RajabRajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", of which Rajab is a derivative.This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam in which battles are prohibited...
every Hijri year.
Goripalayam Dargah
The name Gorippalayam comes from the
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word
Gor which means
Grave. This area is called as Goripalayam because the Graves of the two saints of Islam and rulers of Madurai Hazrat Sulthan Alauddin Badusha (Radiyallah) and Hazrat Sulthan Shamsuddin Badhusha (Radiyallah) are located here. A green coloured tomb can be seen from the A.V.Bridge madurai, which is the Gorippalayam Dargah located in the northern banks of the River Vaigai. The dome is 70 feet (21.3 m) in diameter and 20 feet (6.1 m) in height and is made of a single block of stone which was brought from the Azhaga Hills. The two rulers were brothers who ruled the northern part of madurai after coming from Oman during 13th century to spread Islam. Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajuddin Radiyallah of Kazimar street was Govt. Kazi (Islamic Legal advisor and jury) to them. An ancient
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
inscription, can be found planted on the outer campus of the Maqbara of the dargah campus which reads about a case relating to the lands of the dargah.
This inscription is thought by some to prove the existence of the Dargah since 13th century.
The anniversary urus festival of this dargah is held on 15th night of the Islamic month of Rabi al-awwal on every
hijriThe Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
year.
Theppakulam
Theppakulam is a part of Vandiyur Mariyamman temple. There is an artificial island at the centre, made of stone. It was built sometime around 1500 AD.
Koodal Azhagar Koil
A Vishnu temple in the city center, Koodal Azhagar is unusual in having
NavagrahaGraha is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi . In Hindu astrology, the Navagraha are some of these major influencers.All the navagraha have relative movement with respect to the background of fixed stars in the zodiac...
m, which normally are found only in Shivan temples. There is a
HayagrivaHayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism.-Hinduism:...
temple close to this temple where Hayagriva is the main deity. Most of the students do their regular prayer here as Hayagriva is the one who brought the epic fallen into water back to the earth. This temple is believed to be older than the Meenakshi temple.
St. Mary’s Cathedral Church
St. Mary’s Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai. It is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India.
Economy
Rubber
Because of city's proximity to rubber producing centers, it has had rubber as a traditional industry. Besides gloves, sports goods, mats and other utility products, Madurai contributes in large to the production of automobile rubber components. TVS Srichakra (tyre manufacturing), Sundaram Industries (Rubber Division, Coach division), Fenner India, Hi-Tech Arai Ltd and Lanxess India are some of the rubber based industries in the city. The rubber industry, industrialists feel, has a rich potential to transform Madurai economy. The anticipated growth in this industry, triggered by a boom in automobile sector, will have a cascading effect on other wings of the local economy. Despite being an industry with potential to cause pollution, the manufacturers are taking “special care” to adopt environment-friendly processes.
Major automobile producers, including General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Honda, are regular buyers of components produced in the city.
Automotive
The city is home to one of the top motor cycle manufacturers in India the
TVS GroupTVS Group is an Indian diversified industrial conglomerate with its principal headquarters located in Chennai and Madurai. Almost all holdings of the group are private...
.
IT and ITES
ITInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
industries have located in Madurai.
Software Technology Parks of India'Software Technology Parks of India' is a government agency in India, established in 1991 under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, that manages the Software Technology Park scheme. It is an export oriented scheme for the development and export of computer software,...
, an agency of the Government of India, has authorized several such companies to receive benefits under its national information technology development program. The city hosts multinational corporations such as Honeywell Technology Solutions.
In 2008, C Chandramouli, the IT Secretary to the government of Tamil Nadu, said that the " ... work culture, low attrition rates and also the availability of educational institutions in these tier II cities [such as Madurai] is attracting these companies,” This followed announcements of
business process outsourcingBusiness process outsourcing is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions to a third-party service provider. Originally, this was associated with manufacturing firms, such as Coca Cola that outsourced large segments...
ventures in the area involving
HCLHCL Technologies Limited is a leading global IT services company headquartered in Noida, India. It is primarily engaged in providing a range of software services, business process outsourcing and infrastructure services. HCL Technologies is fourth largest IT company in India and is ranked 48 in...
, Satyam and Sutherland Global Services. The state government proposed two IT-
Special Economic ZoneA Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...
(SEZ)s in Madurai and these have been fully occupied by various IT companies. The work on provision of infrastructure is in progress in Information Technology parks.
Textile
There are numerous textile and chemical industries operating in the area, including Thiagarajar Mills (one of the largest manufacturer and exporter of 100% Indian cotton yarn), Kasim Textile Mills, Sundaram Textiles, Weaves India, and Vaigai Group.
Granite
There are also few Granite industries like PRP Exports (one of India's largest granite processors and exporters) Madurai Arkay Rock, P.R.Granites, Duniterocks, and Arkay Glenrock. There is a proposal to set up a granite industry near Melur, and a polishing factory in Madurai.
Retail and malls
There are numerous large shops and malls and the construction of new facilities for these businesses is ongoing. Particular streets within the city are occupied by businesses involved in similar trade. For example, East Gate contains household utensil shops, East Masi Street has grocery shops, and shops selling garments and textiles are found in South Masi Street.
Culture, tourism and entertainment
The city attracts a large number of tourists from within the country and abroad. About 4,100,000 tourists visited Madurai in 2007, out of which foreigners numbered 224,000.
Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal
The palace complex of Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal was constructed in the Indo-Saracen style by Thirumalai Nayakar in 1636. It is a national monument and is now under the care of the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department.
Gandhi Museum
The palace of Rani Mangamma has been renovated and is now one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas (Gandhi Museums) in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by
Nathuram GodseNathuram Vinayak Godse , from the city of Pune, India was a Hindutva activist and journalist, who was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. Along with his brother Gopal Godse and six other co-conspirators, he executed a plot to assassinate Gandhi.-Early life:Nathuram Godse was born in Baramati, Pune...
. A visit by Martin Luther King Jnr. provided him with inspiration for his own peaceful protests against discrimination.
Entertainment
- The Eco park features lighting, including trees using optical fibres, and fountains. It has a water show accompanied by music,
- Hawa valley, on the outskirts of Madurai, is a beauty spot that also contains a go-kart track.
- Rajaji children park is situated in between the Gandhi museum, and the Tamukkam grounds. It has lots of children play with some hotels like Poonga Arya bhavan and some other eateries shops. Also there are some collection of birds and some kight and music play.
- MGR Race Course Stadium is an athletic stadium which has a synthetic track. Several National Meets are held here and also International Kabadi Championship was held here.
- Railway grounds at Arasaradi, Medical college grounds & Madura College Grounds are the full fledged Cricket Stadiums in the city.
- Theatres: Asia's former largest theatre "Thangam Theatre" is located in Madurai.
Media
City hosts several radio stations, including
Radio MirchiRadio Mirchi is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the Entertainment Network India Ltd , which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group....
and
Suryan FMSuryan FM 93.5Sun Network owns two Radio brands: Suryan FM in Tamil Nadu and for other territories Red FM.The top slot is a result of a carefully planned thoroughly enjoyable, round-the-clock, wholesome entertainment-oriented package and there is a substantial localization of content to retain the...
. The Sun TV Network has a regional office at Uththangudi, Madurai. Many other channels such as Vijay TV,
Jaya TVJaya TV is one of the major Tamil language satellite television channels based in Chennai, India. Jaya TV is one of the early Tamil channels to entertain the Tamil audiences spread across Globe....
and
SS MusicSS Music or the Southern Spice Music channel is a music channel based in Chennai, India. It is a multilingual English medium channel and mainly airs Western Pop and music from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, though sometimes Bollywood songs are played.Several of SS Music's VJs have been...
also have offices in the area.
The HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
,
The New Indian ExpressThe New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
and
The Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
are the three principal English language daily newspapers which have editions published in the city. Deccan Chronicle, though not printed here, is widely circulated in the city. Tamil language daily morning newspapers include
Dina Malar Dinamalar or "Daily Malar" is a daily newspaper in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Trichy, Erode, Vellore and Tamil Nadu, India. Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer. T. V...
,
Dina ThanthiDina Thanthi a.K.a "Daily Thanthi" is a reputed daily Tamil newspaper in Tirunelveli, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Erode, Dindigul, Trichy, Salem, Nagercoil, Cuddalore, Vellore, Pondicherry and Thanjavur. It is owned by Mr.B. Sivanthi Aditanar. It was founded by S. P...
,
Dina ManiDina Mani is daily Tamil newspaper printed and published from Chennai, Coimbatore, Vellore, Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, Bangalore, and New Delhi in India. The newspaper was established in 1933 and owned by The New Indian Express Group.The first edition came in 1934 september 11...
and
DinakaranDinakaran is a Tamil daily newspaper distributed in India. , Dinakaran is the largest Tamil daily newspaper in terms of net paid circulation, which was 1,235,220...
. There are also daily evening newspapers, being
Tamil MurasuTamil Murasu is a Singapore based Tamil language newspaper. Launched in 1935 by Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani, Tamil Murasu is Singapore's only Tamil language newspaper...
,
Malai MurasuMalai Murasu is a Tamil evening daily newspaper in Tamil Nadu, India by S. P. Adithanar who also publishes Dina Thanthi and the weekly magazine Devi and the current director is Ramachandran Adithan....
and
Malai Malar Malai Malar is daily evening Tamil newspaper in Chennai, Salem and Coimbatore, India. It is owned by Daily Thanti group. It was founded by S. P. Adithanar in 1977 at Coimbatore and the current director is Sivandhi Adithanar....
.
Hospitality
In the recent years, the city has seen growth in the hospitality industry. The "Heritance Madurai" is a five star hotel. Some of the other top rated hotels are the Royal Court, Hotel GRT Regency, the Park Plaza, the Gateway Hotel (Taj Garden Retreat), Hotel Germanus, North Gate, Madurai Residency, Hotel Sangam and Hotel Fortune Pandiyan. of the city. Madurai is known for its idlis which are available with variety of chutneys in almost all the restaurants.
Festivals
The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, which include Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, The Chittirai Festival, and the Car Festival.
Pongal
Mattu pongal is celebrated on the next day of Pongal (Harvest Festival) to honour bulls, who work hard throughout the year. Bulls are bathed, their horns are painted, and in some villages they wear new dresses too.
Thepporchavam
The Thepporchavam festival celebrated in the month of January, on the full moon day of Tamil Month Thai. The ornamented icons of the Meenakshi and her consort are taken out in a colourful procession from the Meenakshi Temple to the Mariamman Teppakulam. The icons are floated in the tank on a raft decked with flowers and flickering lamps.
Santhanakoodu festivals
Santhanakoodu festivals are celebrated on various days during the year to commemorate saints.
See also
- Mattuthavani
Mattuthavani, is a locality in the outskirts of Madurai city, which served as a trade point for Cows, Bulls and Calves. To cater to the growing population of the city, this locality is well utilised for the construction of Integrated Bus stand, Flower Market, Central Vegetable market along with the...
- Madurai Nayak Dynasty
The Madurai Nayaks or Nayak Dynasty of Madurai were rulers of a region comprising most of modern-day Tamil Nadu, India, with Madurai as their capital...
- Madurai (Lok Sabha constituency)
-Assembly segments:Madurai Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments :#Madurai North#Madurai West#Madurai Central#Madurai East#Madurai South#Melur-Members of Parliament:- Election results : -References:...