Madurai
 Madurai is called Athens of the East because of the way myth meets life here. Originally called Madhurapuram because honey (madhu) is said to have dripped off the locks of Shiva here, Madurai is now the second largest city in Tamil Nadu. Legends of warrior princesses, the gods falling in love and divine promises abound. Always an important city politically, it is now among the most important pilgrimages for Hindus. The chief attraction at Madurai is the imposing Meenakshi temple, which was built mainly by the Nayaks.
Madurai was important to all the major south-Indian empires. From seesawing between the Cholas and the Pandyas, to being captured by Muslim invaders, and then being regained by the Vijayanagar kings to finally being taken by the Nayaks in 1565, Madurai has had a rich and exciting past. In 1781, Madurai passed into the hands of the East India
Company.
Accommodation at Madurai:
Write to
us for Madurai Hotels
Weather and Best Time to Visit:
It’s hot and humid here all through the year and summer and winter temperatures don’t vary by much. However, the months of Jan/Feb are more comfortable than May/ June
Prime
Attractions at Madurai
Access to Madurai
Air:
The nearest airport is at Madurai (167 km), which is linked to major cities in the country by domestic airlines.
Rail: The railway station receives meter gauge trains from Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Thanjavur and Chennai, which in turn are connected to the rest of the country.
Road:
Rameswaram is well connected to all the main towns in Tamil Nadu by road as well . Chennai is quite a distance by road (666km); Madurai is the nearest big town (167 km). The Pamban Bridge connects Rameswaram to the mainland.
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