On the territory of the Indian state of Tamiland in the city of Madurai, there is one of the most beautiful temples in India - Meenakshi. It is named after one of Shiva's spouses - the three-breasted goddess Parvati or, as she was also called, Meenakshi. The image of this goddess can be seen on numerous sculptures of the temple complex.
The temple is located in the central part of Madurai - the most ancient of the inhabited cities of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that the city appeared in the third millennium BC and was the capital of the ancient state of Pandya. In the city throughout its history, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism were preached. But since the 6th century, Hinduism has firmly established itself here and came to the fore. The name of the city Madurai means "sweetness".
According to myths, the Meenakshi temple stands exactly on the place where Parvati and Shiva were married, and the gods who descended from heaven on such a solemn occasion were even present at this event. Historians do not have accurate data as to when and who built the Meenakshi Temple. But it is known for sure that already in the 14th century it was thoroughly destroyed by Muslims during a campaign of conquest in southern India.
However, the Muslims did not appreciate the strength of the Hindu faith: immediately after the accession of the Hindu kings on the throne, the temple was completely restored to its original appearance. It is a whole complex, consisting of two main temples and adjoining small temples, fourteen gopur towers and a pond. The gopur towers are up to 50 meters high and represent libraries and art galleries.
Also, these amazing towers are completely covered with many small painted sculptures. Here you can see images of the multi-armed Shiva, goddesses, priests, musicians, mythical animals and ordinary people. Despite their number and apparent similarity, they all differ from each other. Every 12 years, each of the sculptures is tinted and carefully restored. Thus, each tower is a unique piece of architectural and artistic art.
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At the entrance to the temple there is a Golden Lily Pond, in which it is necessary to carry out a ritual ablution. In this pond, the idols of Parvati and Shiva are washed daily. And already on the territory of the temple you can find one small hut - according to myths, it belonged to the goddess Parvati herself. Only women are allowed to enter this hut - men are strictly prohibited. In general, about 15 thousand visitors come to the church every day, on Friday this number increases to 25 thousand. You can enter the temple around the clock, because at any time of the day there can be a ceremony dedicated to Parvati and Shiva.
Pilgrims accompanied by musicians often walk around the Meenakshi temple. But if you want to see the temple in all its beauty, you should come during the annual main temple holiday - the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. The celebration lasts from March to April for twelve days. During the celebration, the figures of the deities are rolled in a chariot pulled by an elephant, then placed on a raft and carried through the water of the Mariamman-Teppakkulam pond, located on the territory of the temple complex. In honor of this holiday, crowds of pilgrims flock here - as an expression of their respect to Meenaksh and Shiva, they bring rich gifts, often of gold.