1000 pillar hall in Madurai

The 1000 Pillar Hall (Aiyaram Kaal Mandapam) is situated inside the Meenakshi Sundereswarar temple. Currently the number of pillars count to 985. Each one of them is a beautifully decorated and sculpted column that tells us about the excellence of Dravidian sculpture skills. There is a Temple Art Museum present here too. This Museum inside the 1000 pillar hall is where one can see icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200 year old history of Madurai. There are so many other smaller and bigger mandapams in the temple.

Just outside this mandapam towards the west are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar when struck, produces a different musical note. The kalyana mandapam, to the south of the pillared hall is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chitirai Festival in mid- April.