Since I took the help of a travel agent , I had fair idea which temples I will be exploring. And Meenakshi Temple was first on the list. Popular all over the world, Meenakshi temple is one of the largest and certainly one of the most ancient temples of India.

I had heard so much about Meenakshi Temple, that I was quiet keen to explore the temple. I still remember on that very day, I prepared myself with all the possible things that one should need to explore the temple. Camera was the first thing that I kept. At 10 AM, I was ready with my baggage. Without any delay, we headed towards Meenakshi Temple.

Through my guide, Murlidharan, I came to know Madurai is actually a site where the wedding between Shiva and Meenakshi took place. The soaring and exquisitely carved towers enclose the temple dedicated to Meenakshi. The south gateway contains the twin temples of Shiva and Meenakshi and is about nine storeys high.

A perfect example of Dravidian architecture, the temple was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak and subsequently built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak. The temple can be entered through any of its five entrances, though the eastern entrance, in front of the Meenakshi Sannadhi (shrine) is generally used, as Meenakshi is the reigning deity of the temple. I remember that we had to leave our shoes and socks at the gatehouse and walked past stalls selling garlands of fresh flowers­bright orange marigolds and red and yellow flowers that looked like chrysanthemums. In fact, Murlidharan took two Puja Thalis - one for him and one for me. Unaware of the rituals, I took the thali, but when I actually approached the main temple, I realized that this was an offering to the God. In fact, a part of it was returned back to me as a Prasada.