Sri Meenakshi Temple,
Madurai, South India
The sculptured multicoloured statues in the gopurams
The Golden Lotus Tank (in Sri Meenakshi Temple)
The Golden Lotus Tank (in Sri Meenakshi Temple)
This gopurams (typical trapezium shaped towers of the temples of south India) make part of the Sri Meenakshi Temple, in the city of Madurai (in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India). Madurai was born by chance due to divine means. Tells the story that one day Shiva was drying his hair there and dropped his nectar in the city impregnating it. And that's where the Madurai name came from: it derives from the word tamil madhuram which means "sweetness".
It was founded 2500 years ago as the capital of the ancient Pandya reign, which dominated all the central area in south India, in IV b.C. century. Though it was only in the XV and XVI centuries, during the glorious reigns of Vijayanagar and Nayak, that started an embellishment and amplification of a simple Pandya sanctuary, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Meenakshi and to the god Shiva. Later, the sanctuary was transformed in an assemblage of temples, which would constitute the greatest and the most sumptuous attraction of Madurai - The Sri Meenakshi Temple.
The Meenakshi Temple is constituted by 12 gopurams. The highest one has 49 metres. To enter in the sacred area, we have to enter in one of the gopurams. The whole area is enormous, it has 65000 metres square yard.
Just above our heads, in the gopurams outside walls, 35 millions of sculptured multicoloured statues look at us like they were alive!
I chose these images to represent "On The Road", because, dispite the fact of wanting to visit all of India, i believe these attractive images show the whole mysticism and greatness of India. All of these images contain a certain detailed aspect to them that make you wonder about the fascinating stories behind them. I love all it has to do with Hindu and Indian culture. It fascinates me!
It was founded 2500 years ago as the capital of the ancient Pandya reign, which dominated all the central area in south India, in IV b.C. century. Though it was only in the XV and XVI centuries, during the glorious reigns of Vijayanagar and Nayak, that started an embellishment and amplification of a simple Pandya sanctuary, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Meenakshi and to the god Shiva. Later, the sanctuary was transformed in an assemblage of temples, which would constitute the greatest and the most sumptuous attraction of Madurai - The Sri Meenakshi Temple.
The Meenakshi Temple is constituted by 12 gopurams. The highest one has 49 metres. To enter in the sacred area, we have to enter in one of the gopurams. The whole area is enormous, it has 65000 metres square yard.
Just above our heads, in the gopurams outside walls, 35 millions of sculptured multicoloured statues look at us like they were alive!
I chose these images to represent "On The Road", because, dispite the fact of wanting to visit all of India, i believe these attractive images show the whole mysticism and greatness of India. All of these images contain a certain detailed aspect to them that make you wonder about the fascinating stories behind them. I love all it has to do with Hindu and Indian culture. It fascinates me!
2 comments:
HI,
you put great pictures here, they are really beatiful.and your text is also very good.
Hi,
I had never seen this temple but I agree with you when you say that Hindu and Indian culture are fascinating... I also think it is a very interesting subject because of all its mysticism...
***
Post a Comment