Madanagopalaswamy Temple Madurai History and conncetion with America

I recently read about Madanagopalaswamy temple in Madurai and I was shocked I was not aware about all these facts.

please read the facts here from the newspaper....Madanagopalaswamy Temple Madurai

Chappal stand in Perumal Kovil koil temple Madurai koodal azhagar

I recently went to koodal azhagar Perumal koil temple in Madurai and I was asked for payment for three chappal pairs as 3 rupees. This is usually free and we do not have to pay. However we opt for giving some tips as such for taking and servicing out chappals. Can we make it mandatory not to ask the general public? I knew that it is free, hence I am telling this, but the general public and foreigners should not be disturbed on this? Can the contract holders be careful about it and make sure their employees are trained about not to ask any payment for the chappal stand?

Temples in Tamil Nadu, Secret Rooms and Treasures - Srirangam, Thiruvarur, Tanjore Thanjavur and Madurai Temple

As we all know, Padhmanabha Swamy Temple in Trivandrum, Travancore Kerala has been found with lot of treasures worth more than one lakh crores. There were around 5 secret rooms opened and one more left to be opened, due to lack of sufficient resources to open the 6th secret room. That is only postponed. However, experts say considering some specific science, about 9 roooms must be set for these treasures and it cannot end with 6 rooms. It is said that the other three rooms can be under the pond/lake in Travancore. It could be under the pond, inside a closed well.

Well, given this situation - it is considered that Tamil nadu temples are much more wealthy. It is considered that Thiruvarur temple in Thiruvarur, Srirangam Temple in Trichy and Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.

It is said that there could secret rooms behind some walls or it could be under the ground etc., This is because Kings in those days built the temples similar to their administrative offices. Many of the activities other than prayers happen in the temples like assembly halls, competitions, dances, entertainments, schools etc., The Tamil Nadu Kings used their temples to hide their treasure which they have got from various fights and wars.

It is good to have these treasures with us and find it after long time. We should not exchange or change these treasures into money or use it anywhere else. All of it has to be kept as it is and keep it as it is all through out human generation. That is the best way of it. Do not change these items into money.

These are only traces of what Britishers, Mughals, and other europeans took it to their countries those days and left out. Now, let us keep it and be glad about what we have.

Having said this situation, I would be interested personally to buy and create treasures for my generations to come. My great grand fathers did not make treasures for me, but how about we creating treasures for our grand children? How about this idea? Buy lot of Bronze, Brass, Silver and leave it for your generations to come? You like this idea?

Article Sponsored by SanaAntiques.com

Trivandrum/Travancore Kerala Padmanabha Swamy Temple Treasure and Madurai Temple

Well, we all know Trivandrum/Travancore Padmanabha Swamy Temple's secret rooms were opened and we have found a Treasure worth of more than Rs.90,000 Crores. However, only 5 rooms are opened and still one more room has to be opened.

Having this situation, every temple in our country would have researched little bit, if we also have a secret room or not!:) I am sure they did.

Well, there is a secret room talked about in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple as well. Well, it is not in the temple as such, it is in Tirumalai Naicker Mahal. Basically, this room is always locked and tourists were curious about it.

Just to left side of the Oli Olliyum area of Mahal, there is a room called "Mandhiri Doom", which is locked heavily and the room size is 8 * 20 feets.

After checking with concerned authorities, looks like the room has olden Aimpon statues etc., For safety reasons, it is not disclosed about what is there inside and how much is there. Since the security is not up to the mark, mostly these articles will be transferred to Chennai Museum very soon. That is what is told right now.

'Secret room in every temple in Tamil Nadu' - even in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, similar to Kerala Trivandrum Tranvancore Padmanabha Temple.

My Visit to Thousand Pillar Mandapam

Last weekend, I and my family visited The Thousand Pillars Mandapam, after our Meenakshi Temple visit.

The hall with 1000 pillars can be seen when one enters the temple from the eastern entrance. Today there are only 985 pillars in the hall. One will also be able to see the musical pillars in the temple. One will be able to see in front of the mandapam, the history that covers about 1200 years in the form of icons, photographs and drawings and sculptures.

Today it is coined as a museum and it is promoted nicely. The pillars Mandapam looks very neat and the architecture is amazing. It is been a while I went to this mandapam and I was surprised to see the same.

Very old sculptures are lined up and well lighted inside. A very nominal entry fee of Rs.5 for adults and Rs.2 for children.

Very nice effort for tourism is made to this temple.

Don't miss to visit this 1000 Pillars Mandapam in Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Also my wife ended up shopping heavily near this mandapam for the bangles, god pictures etc.,:):) No worries!!:))

Beggars and Street sellers near Meenakshi Temple Madurai

Last weekend, I and my family visited Meenakshi Temple Madurai and had a great time, but my purpose of this article to mention about the Beggars and Street sellers.

It was a nuissance and torture for us and my child happenned to see these kids and started asking questions about why these people are begging or trying to sell to us very compulsarily! It is nothing harm in selling stuff, instead of begging, but it happens to be a nuissance by pestering us to buy something from them by walking with us all the way to and from the temple.

Will the government do anything in this regard to improve their standard of living or give some kind of shelter or something which will not bother the tourists. Though I am localite, I was frustrated but think of the local tourists or foreigners who might be disturbed or frustrated with this beggary or street selling around the streets of Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Madurai Meenakshi Car (Ther) to be lighted bright in night

As we all know, there are two cars for Madurai Meenakshi Amman God and for Sivan Saami.
There is lot of significance for these thers (cars). The thers were built during the period of Thirumalai Naicker Period.

These cars are used during the Chithra Festival and comes around the Maasi street. After this festival, immediately these cars were kept safe inside a closed course. Only when it is in needed once in a year, the cars are taken out. Not much maintenance is done during the year, since it is not used.

Recently there was news that ignorant people who do not know the significance of the ther (god's car) 'pee' (urinate) near or around the ther. This is totally frustrating.

Later temple officials prepared a transparent glass for anybody to see the ther anytime in the day. Now, it is decided that lights are going to be lit to showcase the ther even in the night time and tourists can see the significance and magnificence of the ther car anytime and even during night time. This is sponsored by some company, looks like.

Also, regular cleaning is ordered by the temple officials and to maintain these thers properly.

In other hand, 10 inch LCD TVs (each worth Rs.30,000) are planned to be placed near the queues so that devotees can spend their time easily while standing and waiting to see the god in garbagraham.

In Azhagar Koil Madurai Concrete Roads laid around the high walls for Therottam

As we all know Azhagar Koil has high walls around the temple and it looks gigantic. Every year, there is a festival where Therottam (God's car) goes around the temple's outer walls. It has been very difficult to pull in the mud road and there has been petitions for the same. If it rains, these mud roads are even pretty bad to pull the god's car (ther).

The work of building concrete road around the temple is in progress and it will be completed before the festival next month. The budget of this project is Rupees 1.84 Crores.

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple gets ISO Certification

As it is already known that Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple is world famous and it is very ancient in make and the temple is very popular as such.

The tourists from other states come to visit Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple for praying Meenakshi Amman Goddess and to see the ancient world famous sculptures.
In addition many foreign tourists come to visit the world famous temple in Madurai.

In order to provide a clean environment for all the visitors, Madurai Temple has come up with ISO certification and it had been successful in achieving that as well.

This month, Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple gets the status of ISO Certification and it is a milestone in the history of this Madurai temple!

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple income increased to Rs.37.92 Lakhs

These days the amount of income in the Hundials is increased in Madurai Meenakshi Ammal Temple.

This month there was an income of cash, gold items and silver items. It is all worth Rs. 37.92 Lakhs per month with the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Good stuff for Madurai!!

Gold in Madurai Meenakshi Temple - Prosperous Madurai!!

The Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple has donated 4.6 kg of gold to Subramaniaswamy temple at nearby Tiruparankundram for making a gold spear for Lord Muruga.

The chairman of the board of trustees of Madurai Meenakshi temple Karumuthu T Kannan handed over the gold biscuits worth Rs 94 lakh to his counterpart M Vijayaraghavan.

Joint commissioner and Executive Officer of Tiruparankunram temple R Padmanabhan and S Selvaraj Deputy Commissioner (jewel verification) was also present, a temple press release said.

Singapore President visits Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Singapore President visits Madurai Meenakshi Temple

Madurai, Dec 15 (PTI) Singapore President S R Nathan visited the famous Meenakshi temple here along with his wife and other family members.
He was received at the temple yesterday with full temple honours by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Karumuthu T Kannan and Executive Officer R Padmanabhan, officials said.

Nathan and his family offered special ''pooja'' for about an hour after which Kannan explained the religious and historical significance of the temple to them, they said.
The President, visiting the temple for the second time in 20 years, was impressed by the development of the temple, he said.

Temples in Tamil Nadu Strike - Madurai Temple Strike today

Employees of temples governed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable endowment Board today observed a "sit-in" strike, demanding implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendations and pay parity with Government employees.

As a result, ticket sales at the Meenakshi temple and Sri Murugan temple at Tiruparankunram, Palani, Tiruchendur, Srivilliputhur, Alagarcoil and Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram, Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, Sri Mariamman temple at Samayapuram and all the other major temples was partially paralysed, officials said.

Though there were some inconveniences, the problem is resolved and the pay commission is accepted!

Troubles for Foreign Tourists in Madurai

As you all might know October to February is the season for foreign tourists to visit Madurai and other tourist areas in Madurai. At this point, Madurai travels and other well wishers have complained to the concerned authorities that there are too many beggars and street sellers troubling the foreign tourists who are visiting Madurai.

Beggars are supposed to be banned from the areas of Tourist places in Madurai. Also the street sellers compelling the tourists in Madurai town area.

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Tirumalai Naicker Mahal etc., are very famous and must see spots for all foreign tourists. Looks like this issue is brought to the notice of concerned authorities in Madurai.

There will be an action taken soon, looks like!

Madurai Chithra Festival - Chithirai Thiruvizha

Madurai Chithrai Thiruvizha is being celebrated is a grand manner and in a much better way than in the past.

Things are well organized and I personally went and saw most of the functions. Every day there is a special function.

I will write more about it shortly.

Madurai Meenakshi Kumbabishekam Photos 2009 - Chitrai Festival - Buy Gold on Akshaya Tritiya day as well

If you had been looking for Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple Kumbabishekam Photos in the internet, here are some of them -

http://www.maduraimeenakshi.org/photo_gallery.php

http://picasaweb.google.com/dhandapani.kb/Meenakshi_Kumbabishekam

http://lovelydeeps.blogspot.com/2009/04/madurai-meenakshi-amman-temple.html

By the way - Chitra/Chithra Thiruvizha/Festival in Madurai is planned to start on April 26th 2009.

Another thing to note in the background is April 27th 2009 is Akshaya Tritiya! When you come to Chitrai Festival, just drop by the jewellery shops in Madurai for your GOLD Shopping and any ICICI bank for Gold Coins:)

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Architecture