Tourist City in Madurai

Madurai, also called the Temple City, is located in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the oldest inhabited cities of India. Apart from the ‘Temple City’, few other names for the city are the ‘City of Four Junctions’, ‘City of Festivals’, ‘Athens of the East’ and ‘Sleepless City’, all pointing to one or other aspect of Madurai.

The name Madurai is supposed to have originated from the word ‘Madhura’ in Sanskrit, which means ‘sweetness’. The history of Madurai dates as far back as the 3rd Century BC. The city finds mention in the works of Megasthenese as well as Arthashastra by Kautilya. Madurai was ruled by the Kalabhras until the 6th century, after which, it was subsequently ruled by many other dynasties, viz. the Pandyas, the Cholas and the Nayaks.

The British took control of Madurai in 1801, and it was then that it was made a part of the Madras Presidency. Madurai holds significance in India’s independence struggle as well. The city was home to leaders like NMR Subaraman, Mohammad Ismail Sahib and Meer Ibrahim Sahib. It was Madurai where Mahatma Gandhi decided to wear the loin cloth and shun the trousers, after being inspired from the agricultural labourers here.

Lying at an elevation of 101 metres above sea level, Madurai experiences hot and dry weather throughout the year. The day temperature during the summer months hovers at about 40° Celsius while the same during the winters is between 20-25° Celsius.

Madurai is known to have a mix of cultures and religion and that is evident from the presence of religious structures of three major religions - Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Some of the important religious structures of Madurai which also serve as tourist places are Goripalayam Dargah, the Meenakshi-Sundreswar Temple and St. Mary’s Cathedral Church. Gandhi Museum is another tourist attraction of Madurai.

The city has come to be called the ‘sleepless city’ because of its 24/7 work culture. There are plenty of food joints here which remain open 24 hours, along with the transport, which is readily available at night time.

The city is well connected to other parts of the country. It has an airport, numerous railway stations and a reliable public transport system which commuters can use for intercity as well as intracity travel.