Meenakshi Temple
| Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Madurai |
| Deity | |
| Festivals | Chithirai Thiruvizha, Navaratri, Cradle festival, Aavanimoolam, Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, Alagar's river plunge |
| Governing body | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department |
| Features |
|
| Location | |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
| Geographic coordinates | 9°55′11″N 78°7′10″E / 9.91972°N 78.11944°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Pandyan Architecture |
| Inscriptions | over 40 |
| Elevation | 144 m (472 ft) |
| Website | |
| https://maduraimeenakshi.hrce.tn.gov.in/ | |
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, her consort Sundareśvarar, a form of Shiva and her brother Aḻagar, a form of Vishnu. The temple is theologically significant as it represents a confluence of the Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism denominations of Hinduism. The temple is at the centre of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts. This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, which are 275 temples of Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.
The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is based.