Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi.The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2,500 year old city.
It is said that the temple was actually built in the 6th century BC by survivors of the Kumari Kandam.

It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45 to 50m in height. The tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high.The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 on Fridays and receives an annual revenue of 60 million.
It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of the World".

The name "Minachchi" means fish-eyed and is derived from the words "mina" meaning fish and "aksi" meaning eyes.

According to Hindu legend, in order to answer the prayers of the second Pandya king Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai, Parvati appeared out of the holy fire of the Putra Kameshti Yagna performed by the king.

The area covered by the shrine of Sundareswarar is exactly one fourth of the area of the temple and that of Meenakshi is one fourth that of Sundareswarar.

The Meenakshi Temple is one of the Shakti Peethas in india.There are close to 50 priests in the temple who perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
he priests belong to Shivaite to the Adishaivas, a Brahmin sub-caste.