About trip

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Madurai , Rameshwaram Tour Package

Madurai Sightseeing Places

About Meenakshi Amman Temple: Malik Kafur, a general of the Delhi Sultanate, led his army to most parts of southern India during the 14th century C.E. and plundered many temples, including the famous Meenakshi Temple. Valuables were brought to Delhi, such as gold, silver, and precious gems. As temples had an abundance of valuables in those days, most of the temples were demolished and left in ruins. The temple was reconstructed and reopened when the Vijayanagar Empire took over Madurai after crushing the Muslim Sultanate.

The temple was further enlarged by Vishwanatha Nayakar, a king of the Nayaka dynasty, during the late 16th century and early 17th century. According to historians, the rulers of the Nayaka dynasty adopted the architectural style of 'Silpa Shastras' when restoring the temple. 'Silpa Shastras' is a set of architectural laws contained in ancient texts.

Thirumalai Nayak, who ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1655, enlarged the temple once more. There were several 'Mandapams' (pillared halls) built during his rule. The temple was then enlarged before the arrival of the British East India Company by several later Nayaka rulers. Once again the temple was degraded and parts of it were demolished during the rule of Britain. Tamil Hindus began the restoration work in 1959 by raising donations and working with historians and engineers. In 1995, the temple was fully rebuilt.

Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple: Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple, one of the popular religious shrines, is among the 6 temples of Lord Murugan, called Arupadaiveedu. By removing rocks to add to its overall magnetism, this temple was carved out of a mountain.

In the 8th century during the reign of Pandyan, Thiruparankundram Temple was founded. This temple has separate sanctuaries for Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Durga, Lord Vinayaka, and other famous Hindu deities, with its shrine carved out of a rock.

This temple, which is historically significant as well is known for its unique characteristics. The idols of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu face one another in this temple, which is a special feature of a Hindu temple. The sun and moon can be seen together from this temple, which is a significant attraction among devotees.

Among the six major shrines of Lord Murugan, which is also known as Subramanya, is this temple. According to legend, Goddess Deivyani/Devasena, who is the daughter of Lord Indra, married Lord Muruga at this spot. This is why this temple is considered to be one of the most promising locations for weddings. The couples who get married here are believed to receive Lord Muruga's blessing for a happy and fruitful married life.

A striking feature of this temple is that not only Hindu devotees visit it but those of other religious beliefs also visit it. Also situated here is a Muslim shrine called Sekunder. According to some legends, this shrine is also associated with Lord Murugan. Sekunder is popularly believed to have been a guest of Lord Muruga.

Azhagar Kovil:

The celebrated Vishnu Temple, dedicated to Lord Alagar, stands about 21 km northeast of Madurai. In a panoramic setting, the temple is situated on a hill. The sanctuary is known as Alagarkoil and Solaimalai Hill. Some exquisite carvings are also in the temple and make the experience rewarding. At the top of the hill is Palamudirsolai, one of the six abodes of Lord Subramaniya.

Chithirai Festival : One of the announced festivals of the Tamilnadu Government is the Chithirai Festival of this Temple, celebrated for ten days. The day of the festival is declared a local holiday. Lord Kallazhagar starts from Azhagar Kovil in the form of Kallar in Chithirai (April-May) and reaches Madurai on Pournami (Full Moon day). Here in his Horse Vaganam, he steps into the River Vaigai. Lakhs of devotees are flocking to the Vaigai River to see this happening.

The "Ethir Sevai" festival is held on the day before Alagar joins the Vaigai River. It is a tradition for the people of Madurai to welcome Alagar. As Azhagar returns from the Vandiyur Dhasavatharam festival, at Ramarayar Mandapam in the northern part of the Vaigai River, it is celebrated throughout the night. After this incident, Azhagar is taken to the decorated Anantharayar Palanquin by Mysore Veera Mandapam.

Azhagar returns to Azhagar Kovil in 'Poo Pallakku' the following morning in the form of Kallar (Palanquin decorated with flowers). The great Chitra festival is celebrated on Pournami every year in the month of April and May (full moon day). The Festival dramatically re-enacts from Azhagarkoil the visitation of Lord Kallazhagar to Madurai. Lakhs of devotees flock to the Vaigai River to personally witness the event of Lord Azhagar walking down into the river to receive his blessings.

The Aadi Brahmmorchavam Festival is observed for 10 days during the months of July and August. This festival takes place inside the shrine's precincts. In order to participate in this festival, devotees from various parts of Tamilnadu throng. During Pournami (Full-Moon day of Aadii, the temple car 'Amaiththa Narayanan' is taken in procession (Brahmotchavam).

Rameshwaram Sightseeing Places

Within the Rameshwaram Ramanathaswamy Temple, Theerthas: There are 64 theerthas (sacred water bodies) in and around Rameswaram, according to the words of the Sethu Puranam scripture. Twenty-two of them were found within the premises of the Ramanathaswamy Temple.

Timings for the sacred bath from the 22 wells inside the temple of Ramanathaswamy. From 5:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM, the pilgrims were permitted to take bath from the 22 wells inside the temple of Rameswaram. It took 45 minutes and 2 hours to complete the bath from the 22 wells, depending on the crowd.

Rameswaram temple will be crowded on festival days and holidays, so because of the long queue, it will take a longer time to finish the theertha snanam/Sacred bath process. Devotees were not permitted to worship the temple deities with wet garments, so after the bath, devotees are expected to bring new clothes to wear. Within the temple itself, dress changing rooms are available and devotees can change clothes there.

Dhanuskodi

Dhanuskodi, situated on the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island, is one of Rameshwaram's unique attractions. It is situated approximately 20 km from Rameshwaram. Literally, the word Dhanuskodi means 'end of bow', which denotes the legend of Lord Rama and the holy Hindu text Ramayana.

Dhanushkodi is the land boundary between Sri Lanka and India, one of the smallest cities in the world, with a length of just 50 yards. It is approximately 15 km from Sri Lanka. There is a large stretch of beach in this area, running up to 15 km. The town of Dhanushkodi is surrounded on one side by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean on the other.

This religiously important city, which was declared a ghost city after the 1964 cyclone, is still visited by devotees who come here to witness the ruins of a once great temple that withstood the cyclone's massive destructive waves, a miracle in itself. Though equally captivating, its scenic beauty is surrounded by a vast expanse of ocean and shimmering sand.

Itinerary

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Day 1 - Madurai Sightseeing Day 2 - Madurai to Rameshwaram Day 3 - Dhanushkodi Sightseeing Day 4 - Madurai Sightseeing