Madurai

Meenakshi Amman Temple

Madurai

The colourful abode of the triple-breasted warrior goddess Meenakshi (‘fish-eyed’ – an epithet for perfect eyes in classical Tamil poetry) is generally…

Gandhi Memorial Museum

Madurai

Housed in a 17th-century Nayak queen's palace, this impressive museum contains a moving, comprehensive account of Gandhi's life and India’s struggle for…

Tirumalai Nayak Palace

Madurai

What Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple is to Nayak religious architecture, Tirumalai Nayak's crumbling palace is to the secular. It’s said to be only a…

Pudhu Mandapa

Madurai

This 16th-century pillared hall stands outside the Meenakshi Amman Temple, opposite the eastern gopuram. It's crammed with colourful textile and crafts…

Temple Art Museum

Madurai

Inside the eastern gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, you'll find the Nayak-period Thousand Pillared Hall (with 985 columns) on your right. Now the…

Mariamman Teppakkulam Tank

Madurai

This vast tank, 3km east of the old city, covers an area as big as the Meenakshi Amman Temple and is the site of the incredible annual Teppam (Float)…

St Mary's Cathedral

Madurai

This 20th-century neo-Gothic construction's simple stained-glass windows and bold-orange vaulting are offset by a magnificent blue-and-white exterior with…

Madurai Government Museum

Madurai

Attached to the very interesting Gandhi Memorial Museum, this is a sadly neglected collection of archaeological finds, sculpture, bronzes, costumes and…