landmark
Meenakshi Amman Temple
A dazzling Hindu temple complex in Madurai with 14 towering gopurams covered in thousands of colorful sculpted deities and mythological figures.
0 km · about 5 min drive
AsiaIndiaTamil Nadu
Madurai
Tamil Nadu, India · Asia
About Madurai
Madurai is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Vilāngudi, right by Meenakshi Amman Temple.
Madurai is in Tamil Nadu, India, with about 1.5 million people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Vilāngudi, about 4 km away.
Madurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai district, which is governed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation established on 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 census, it is the third largest metropolis in Tamil NaduRead more
after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest urban agglomeration in India. Located on the banks of Vaigai River, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a documented history of more than 2500 years. It is often referred to as "Thoongaa Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps".
Madurai is one of the oldest cities in India and South Asia. The third Tamil Sangam, a major congregation of Tamil scholars under the Pandyan dynasty, is said to have been held in the city. The recorded history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan Empire, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links dating back to 300 BCE are evident from excavations by the Archeological Survey of India in Keezhadi, Manalur. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pandyan Kingdom, the Chola Empire, the Madurai Sultanate, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Carnatic kingdom, and the British East India Company's British Raj. The city has a number of historical monuments, with the Koodal Azhagar temple, the Meenakshi Temple and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal being the most prominent.
Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile, rubber, chemical and granite manufacturing industries. Madurai has important government educational institutes such as the Madurai Medical College, the Homeopathic Medical College, the Madurai Law College, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Madurai Campus), the Kamaraj University, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai. The city covers an area of 147.97 km2 (57.13 sq mi) and had a population of 1,470,755 in 2011. The second bench of the Madras High Court is situated in Madurai.
It is one amongst the towns and cities selected for the AMRUT mission, undertaken by the Government of India. The Government of Tamil Nadu contributes to the infrastructure development in the city.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Madurai?
Within an hour or so of Madurai: Meenakshi Amman Temple (0 km).
Are there any good drives near Madurai?
The nearest famous roads are Valparai Forty Hairpin Bends.
Where is Madurai?
Madurai is in Tamil Nadu, India, about 4 km from Vilāngudi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,465,625
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- India
- Region
- Tamil Nadu
- Timezone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Coordinates
- 9.9190, 78.1195
Tags
Worth the detour from Madurai
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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