Madurai, the cultural capital and second largest city of Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest cities of southern India. Madurai has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage, for centuries. It is believed that, the divine nectar falling from Lord Shiva's locks, gave the city its name - Madhurapuri, now known as Madurai. Known as the temple city, Madurai is situated on the banks of the River Vaigai. Madurai is also an important pilgrimage center. The 985 beautiful pillared Meenakshi Amman Temple is the major attraction of Madurai. The city is also renowned for its textile mills, engineering industries and large university areas.

Sightseeing at Madurai - 

Meenakshi Temple : The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction. It is one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. The Meenakshi temple boasts an excellent work of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams (large gateways) and mandapams (multi-pillared halls) covered from top to bottom in an abundance of multi-coloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. 

Mariamman Teppakulam : The Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam hosts the annual float festival in January and February. This is one major attraction in Madurai. This tank has an idol of Vinayaka or Vigneshwara installed on a platform in the middle. 

Tirumalai Naik Palace : The palace and the temple here is a must visit for the tourists. The palace of Tirumalai Nayak is about a km from the temple. This Indo-Saracenic building was built in 1523 and was originally four times as large as it is today. The palace features the architectural works of the Nayaks.