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Madurai – The Athens of the East! |
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Madurai is one of the important cities in South India. The seventh largest city in Tamil Nadu, it is situated in the banks of river Vaigai. Endowed with a rich cultural heritage and glorious tradition, Madurai is grouped among the antique cities of the India. The history of Madurai dates back to 6th century B.C. During that period, the city was the much-acclaimed capital of the Pandya kings. Then, it functioned as an important commercial center of South India. It held sway over many small towns in the South. |
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Temples, monuments and ancient cultural wonders abound in Madurai. It is even called ‘The Athens of the East’. Madurai’s Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is one of the greatest architectural marvels of India. Built by Pandya King 'Kulasekara' and reconstructed later by Ruler Thirumalai Nayak, the temple has patronized literature, art, music and dance ever since its inception. The entire city is built around the Meenakshi Amman temple. Madurai Meenakshi temple attracts six thousand visitors a day and gets an annual revenue of rupees sixty million. It attained 26th place in the list of top nominees for the new Seven Wonders of the World. |
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Madurai is firmly anchored in Tamil literature and tradition. It is home to many poets and artisans and houses an abundance of literary wealth of both classical and modern Tamil. It was the seat of the Tamil Academy in the past. The city has been a centre for learning and pilgrimage for centuries. The three Tamil Sangams evolved and flourished here. The city’s ancient Tamil kings were great warriors, poets and connoisseurs of art. Tamil literature flourished because of their generosity and literary fervor. |
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Population |
904,665 (2001) |
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Area |
109 km2 |
Location |
9° 55" 59'N, 78° 7" 0'E |
Temperature |
Summer- Max: 37.5"C Min: 26.3" C |
Winter- Max: 29.6"C
Min: 20.9"C
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Altitude |
100.58 Meters above sea level |
Languages |
Tamil, Sourashtra, English |
Attractions |
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Religion |
Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Jain |
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Modern Madurai |
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In the past five years, Madurai has witnessed tremendous growth in infrastructure and residential property market. Madurai is also famous for textile market. The ‘Sungudi’ sarees, a particular type of gorgeous sarees, are Madurai’s best. Jasmine flowers of Madurai district are known all over the country. They carry a special fragrance unique to Madurai. Tons of flowers are exported to other countries for producing perfumes. |
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People in Madurai have high respect for the culture and tradition of the city. Ballads, folk dances and dramas are very popular. This city is the birth place of many famous personalities. It is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities of Tamil Nadu and rest of India. In brief, it is a beautiful and culturally-significant place to visit and enjoy. |
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TODAY EVENTS 10th April 2008 |
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| Religion |
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Selva Vinayagar Temple: ‘Discourse on ‘Navagraham’ by P. Balasubramanian, Railway Colony, 7.30 p.m. |
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| Culture |
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Gandhi Memorial Museum: Yoga, meditation and pranayama classes, 6 a.m., 10.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; R. Natarajan conducts Hindi class for students, 4.30 p.m. |
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| General |
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Fatima College: ‘Release of documentary, ‘The Trail of Trash,’ Audio Visual Room, 11 a.m. |
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| Courtesy: The Hindu |
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