Meenakshi
| Meenakshi | |
|---|---|
Patron and Guardian Goddess of Madurai | |
Goddess Meenakshi | |
| Other names | Aṅgayaṟkaṇṇi, Taḍādakai, Mīnāṭci, Mantriṇi, Mangayakarasi, Maduraidevi |
| Affiliation | Parvati, Devi |
| Abode | Madurai |
| Animals | Rose-ringed parakeet |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
| Siblings | Aḻagar (Vishnu) |
| Consort | Sundareśvarar (Shiva) |
| Dynasty | Pandya dynasty |
Meenakshi (Sanskrit: मीनाक्षि, romanized: Mīnākṣi, Tamil: மீனாக்ஷி, romanized: Mīṉākṣi; also spelled as Minakshi; also known as Aṅgayaṟkaṇṇi, Mīnāṭci and Taḍādakai) is a Hindu goddess. She is the tutelary deity of Madurai and is considered a form of the goddess Parvati. She is the divine consort of Sundareśvarar, a form of Shiva and the sister of Aḻagar, a form of Vishnu. She finds mention in literature as the queen of the ancient Madurai-based Pandya kingdom, and is later deified. The goddess is also extolled by Adi Shankara as Shri Vidya.
She is mainly worshipped in India where she has a major temple devoted to her known as the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Meenakshi, Kamakshi, and Visalakshi are considered the three Shakti forms of the goddess Parvati.