The Meenakshi Sundareswarar (Lord Shiva is called the beautiful one Sundara +Eswara) temple is in the centre of the town Madurai in South India,
Goddess Meenakshi (meaning fish eyed) is worshipped first by the devotees in this temple, Meenak-shi was born with three breasts.
The Pandya king and the queen, who were her parents, were told that the third breast will disappear when she sees the right man. This happened when she met Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva). Even today a statue with three breasts can be seen in Pudumandapam opposite temple.
Lord Shiva in Nataraja form (Dancer) changed his balancing foot for the sake of a Pandya king, this place is called Silver Temple (Velli Ambalam). Four famous Natrajas in four other temples use a different foot. In Madurai he lifts his right foot and stands on his left foot.
Lord- Shiva performed 64 miracles to save his devotees in Madurai which are known as 64 Divine Acts. So every week a festival is celebrated in the temple.
Madurai temple is one of the 64 Sakthi kendras (centres).
There is a beautiful 1,000 pillar Hall, now it has got 985 pillars each with a different style or statue. It will take months to study all the sculptures.
If you visit any temple and want to enjoy the art treasures, forget the gods. If you go to the temple just to worship god, forget the art treasures, you can’t mix both,
Please feel free to write us at sanskar@hindusanskar.org if you come across any local temple and you want to share about it, send us a small video or photographs, its all about Sanskars
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