Hindu temple in Yanaikkal, Madurai
Thousand Pillars
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The story of Thousand Pillars
Thousand Pillars stands inside Meenakshi Temple, a historic Hindu temple on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in Madurai, and this part of the complex is the one with the great pillared hall people come looking for.
Britannica-style material on the hall itself is not available here, so the clearest published description calls it the largest mandapam in the temple complex, near Veeravasantharayar Mandapam to the north. It says this mandapam was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliyar, minister and commander of Viswanatha Naicker, in 1569, and that it has a total of 985pillars. That same publication also notes a sacred idol here identified as Lord Sundareswarar, rather than the popular legend that it is Ariyanatha Mudaliyar.
As a visitor, the key thing to look for is the sheer forest of stone supports and the way the hall sits within the larger temple setting dedicated to Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. Since Thousand Pillars has no separate account of its own, this published description is the main guide to what you are seeing. From here, you can also orient yourself by Veeravasantharayar Mandapam just to the north.
In brief
Meenakshi Temple, also known as Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort Sundareswarar (Shiva). The temple is theologically significant as it represents a confluence of various denominations of Hinduism such as Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism.
While the Sangam literature mentions the temple city of Madurai, the existence of a temple is first referenced in the Tamil texts from 6th century CE. It is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, Shiva temples that are revered in the Tevaram verses composed by the Nayanars between the 6th and 11th century CE. The early structures of the temple were built during the reign of the Pandyas in the 12th to 13th century CE. It was later rebuilt by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century CE, after its destruction by the armies of the Delhi Sultanate. The temple complex was later expanded extensively by the Madurai Nayaks in the 16th and 17th centuries. While a few structural improvements were made during the 18th and 19th centuries CE, the temple condition degraded due to negligence during the British Raj. After the Indian independence in the mid 20th century, the temple was restored with donations collected from people. Further restoration and kumbhabhishekam of the temple was conducted in 1974, 1995, and 2009.
The temple complex is spread over 5.7 hectares (14 acres). It consists of monuments inside several concentric enclosures (prakara), each layer fortified with high masonry walls. The outer walls have four large gopurams (ornamental gateways), one on each cardinal direction, and 10 smaller gopurams. The tallest is the southern tower, which was built in the 16th century CE and rises to 170 ft (52 m). The shrines of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar, the prominent and largest of the shrines in the temple, is located in the courtyard of the innermost prakara. The complex has numerous mandapas, including the thousand pillared hall, which are used for housing idols, temple festivities, and as choultry. There are images of various Hindu gods located across various shrines and mandapas in the temple. The golden lotus pond (potramarai kulam) is the main temple tank, located within the premises.
The temple is managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The temple complex is a prominent landmark in Madurai and attracts thousands of visitors every day.
Before you go
- Time to allow
- 30-60 min
- Address
- W4C9+5X5, Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001, India