163-483: The Madurai Nayaks were a Telugu dynasty who ruled most of modern-day Tamil Nadu , India, with Madurai as their capital. The Madurai Nayaks had their origins in the Balija warrior clans of present-day Andhra Pradesh . The Nayak reign which lasted for over two centuries from around 1529 to 1736 was noted for its achievements in arts, cultural and administrative reforms, revitalization of temples previously ransacked by
326-481: A classical language by the Government of India . It has been in use as an official language for over 1,400 years and has an unbroken and diverse literary tradition of over a thousand years. Telugu performing arts include the classical dance form Kuchipudi , as well as Perini Sivatandavam , and Burra Katha . The Telugu shadow puppetry tradition, Tholu Bommalata , dates back to the 3rd century BCE, and
489-442: A tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw/As ). Madurai is hot and dry for eight months of the year. Cold winds are experienced during February and March as in the neighbouring Dindigul . The hottest months are from March to July. The city experiences a moderate climate from August to October, tempered by heavy rain and thundershowers, and a slightly cooler climate from November to February. Fog and dew are rare, occurring only during
652-491: A crushing defeat for Jagga Raya's forces, and he was killed. Muttu Virappa was forced to pay a huge tribute to the Centre. He then shifted his capital to Tiruchirappalli later that year so that he could more easily launch an invasion of Thanjavur if he wanted to, but this failed. However, his appeasement of his Pandyan vassals meant they were loyal when Mysore invaded Dindigul in 1620 and was repelled. He died in 1623. Muttu Virappa
815-411: A daily basis started by Air India Express since February 2018. The carriers operating from the airport are Air India , Air India Express , SpiceJet , IndiGo and SriLankan Airlines . The airport handled 842,300 passengers between April 2015 and March 2016. Madurai has been an academic centre of learning for Tamil culture, literature, art, music and dance for centuries. All three assemblies of
978-547: A district headquarters of a larger Madurai district. In 1837, the fortifications around the temple were demolished by the British. The moat was drained and the debris was used to construct new streets – Veli, Marat and Perumaal Mesthiri streets. The city was constituted as a municipality in 1866 under the Town Improvement Act of 1865. The British government faced initial hiccups during the earlier period of
1141-474: A fortress and station a small garrison wherever they might want. During this time, the Vijayanagara empire was falling fast and so Tirumala Nayaka cancelled tribute payment altogether. However, when Sriranga III took power, he viewed this as an act of rebellion and assembled a large army to subdue his vassal. Tirumala allied with Thanjavur and Gingee, but Thanjavur defected to the emperor. Madurai then made
1304-573: A new alliance with the Golconda Sultanate, who laid siege to Vellore and defeated Sriranga III. When he then appealed to his Nayakas for an alliance, all rejected him and Vijayanagara fell altogether. Goldonda, which conquered Vellore around 1646, laid siege to Gingee along with the Bijapur Sultanate. Tirumala Nayaka's armies arrived too late to save the fortress. In 1655, Mysore launched another invasion of Madurai when Tirumala
1467-421: A period of relative stability. His relations with his nominal Vijayanagara overlords varied by their strength, but were generally cordial. After his death in 1595, power passed to his eldest son Krishnappa Nayaka II. During this time he led an occupation of Travancore and recognized Venkatapati Raya as emperor of VIjayanagar. During his reign, Ariyanatha Mudaliar died, and he himself died in 1601. After his death
1630-587: A population of 1,470,755 in 2011. The city is also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court . It is one of the few towns and cities in List of AMRUT Smart cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by government of Tamil Nadu. According to Iravatham Mahadevan , a 2nd-century BCE Tamil-Brahmi inscription refers to
1793-469: A significant amount of autonomy from the centre and held powers of law enforcement and judicial administration. In return, they would give one-third of the palaiyam 's revenue to the Nayaka and another third for the upkeep of an army. Often, however, the polygars were completely outside central control and would raid and pillage nearby territory. The main languages of Nayaka rule were Telugu and Tamil. Tamil
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#17327765302031956-465: A succession crisis arose and Krishnappa Nayaka II's youngest brother, Kasturi Rangappa, seized the throne but was assassinated a week later. Muttu Krishnappa Nayaka, the son of Krishnappa Nayaka II's second brother, became ruler. His rule was mainly focused on the organization of the southern coast, mainly inhabited by the Paravars . The community was excellent at fishing and pearl diving, which made them
2119-527: A succession crisis in the Vijayanagara empire developed and civil war broke out between him and Rama Deva Raya, Sriranga II's son, who had escaped. Madurai, Gingee and the Portuguese supported the side of Jagga Raya while Raghunatha Nayaka of Thanjavur and Yachama Nayaka of Kalahasti were among those supporting Rama Deva Raya. In the Battle of Toppur in 1616, the generalship of Raghunatha and Yachama led to
2282-688: A term referring to the land inhabited by Telugus, was first used during the 14th century CE. In 1323 the sultan of Delhi , Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq , sent a large army commanded by Ulugh Khan (later, as Muhammad bin Tughluq , the Delhi sultan) to conquer the Telugu region and lay siege to Warangal . The fall of the Kakatiya dynasty led to an era with competing influences from the Turkic kingdoms of Delhi and
2445-520: A thousand years. The earliest Telugu literature dates to 11th century CE with Nannaya 's Andhra Mahabharatam . The language experienced a golden age under the patronage of the Vijayanagara king-poet Krishnadevaraya . Kuchipudi , originating from the eponymous village in Krishna district , is of the eight major Indian classical dances . It is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in
2608-432: A troubled province due to its distance from Vijayanagara and had been only been fully subjugated in the early 16th century under Veera Narasimha. The first Nayaka, Nangama, was a popular and able general of Krishnadevaraya . Krishnadevaraya sent Nangama Nayaka with a large army to bring Pandya Nadu back under imperial control. Although he was an able administrator he was a hard ruler and rejected any claims of authority from
2771-420: A valuable revenue source, but the region had generally been neglected by previous Nayakas. The region gradually became lawless and fell under Portuguese control. However, when the Portuguese asserted the coast was now theirs and began to collect taxes, Muttu Krishnappa started sending officers called Sethupathis to modern Ramanathapuram, where their duties were to protect pilgrims going to Rameswaram and to compel
2934-591: A wide range of Hindu gods carved on the walls. Kazimar Big Mosque is the first Muslim place of worship in the city. It was constructed under the supervision of Kazi Syed Tajuddin, believed to be a descendant of the prophet Muhammed . He came from Oman and received the piece of land from the Pandya ruler, Kulasekara Pandiyan during the 13th century. It is claimed to be the oldest Islamic monument in Madurai. The dargah of Madurai Hazrats called as Madurai Maqbara
3097-541: Is a historic Hindu temple located on the south side of the Vaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. It is dedicated to Parvati known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva as Sundareswarar. The complex houses 14 gopuram s (gateway towers) ranging from 45–50 metres (148–164 ft) in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high. There are also two golden sculptured vimana (shrines) over
3260-623: 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 in 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 census , it is the third largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest urban agglomeration in India . Located on
3423-594: Is a part of the Pongal festival (harvest festival) celebrated during January. The bull taming event is held in the villages surrounding Madurai when people from the neighbouring villages throng the open grounds to watch man and bull pitting their strength against each other. Although the event was banned by the Supreme Court of India in 2014, large protests in 2017 led to the sport's reinstatement. Santhanakoodu festivals in Madurai are celebrated on various days during
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#17327765302033586-604: Is a translation by Vaṇṇapparimaḷappulavar of the Persian Book of One Thousand Questions that was presented at the Madurai court in 1572. The Nayakas were some of the most prolific architects in South India. Much of their work was expansions and additions to existing Vijayanagara or pre-Vijayanagara structures. By far their greatest work was the Meenakshi- Sundaraswarar complex in Madurai, which
3749-511: Is a women's general degree college (established in 1953), Sourashtra College (established in 1967) and M.S.S. Wakf Board College (established in 1964), Tamil Nadu Polytechnic College ( established in 1946), are the oldest educational institutions of the city. Madurai Kamaraj University (originally called Madurai University), established in 1966, is a state-run university which has 109 affiliated arts and science colleges in Madurai and neighbouring districts. There are 47 approved institutions of
3912-581: Is also called the Andhra School or Vengi School. Art historians regard the art of Amaravati as one of the three major styles or schools of ancient Indian art, the other two being the Mathura style, and the Gandharan style. Amaravati school flourished under the local Sada rulers, Satavahanas, and Andhra Ikshvakus till 325–340 CE. Amaravati Stupa is the most famous monument of this style, and it
4075-647: Is celebrated in the month of January – February, on the full moon day of Tamil Month Thai to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak. The decorated icons of the Meenakshi and her consort are taken out in a procession from the Meenakshi Temple to the Mariamman Teppakulam. The icons are floated in the tank on a raft decked with flowers and flickering lamps. Jallikattu is the most popular historical sport in Tamil Nadu, which
4238-616: Is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 5th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Maha Vishnu , who is worshiped as Kallalagar , and his consort Lakshmi as Thirumagal. This temple is called as Thirumaliruncholai in Sangam literatures and Naalayira Divya Prabandham sung by Tamil Alvar saints. Pazhamudircholai , one of
4401-513: Is headed by a Commissioner of police , assisted by Deputy Commissioners. Enforcement of law and order in the suburban areas are handled by the Madurai district police. In 2008, the crime rate in the city was 283.2 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.1 per cent of all crimes reported in major cities in India, and it was ranked 19th among 35 major cities in India. As of 2008, Madurai recorded the second highest SLL (Special and Local Laws) crimes, at 22,728, among cities in Tamil Nadu. However, Madurai had
4564-554: Is held on 15th night of the Islamic month of Rabi al-awwal on every hijri year. St. Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai . Samanar Malai and Panchapandavar Malai are important Jain centres. Madurai is popularly called Thoonga Nagaram meaning the city that never sleeps, on account of the active night life. The city attracts a large number of tourists from within
4727-488: Is home to various automobile, rubber , chemical and granite manufacturing industries. Madurai has important government educational institutes such as the Madurai Medical College , Homeopathic Medical College, Madurai Law College , Agricultural College and Research Institute and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai . The city covers an area of 147.97 km (57.13 sq mi) and had
4890-558: Is known for its four towering gopurams up to 50 metres in height. The original structure that stood there during Pandyan times was neglected during the Madurai Sultanate and fell into ruin, and the Vijayanagara rulers had begun to rebuild it. However the Nayakas made the most extensive contributions to the temple complex. Each of the additions to the temple was done by different rulers in different stages, and almost all rulers of
5053-647: Is located inside the mosque. Tirupparankunram Dargah is the grave of an Islamic saint who came from Jeddah ; his festival is celebrated during Rajab every Hijri year. Goripalayam Mosque is located in Gorippalayam, the name of which is derived from the Persian word Gor , meaning Grave . The graves of Hazrat Sulthan Alauddin Badhusha, Hazrat Sulthan Shamsuddeen Badhusha and Hazrat Sulthan Ghaibuddeen Badhusha are found here. The urus festival of this dargah
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5216-516: Is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Viyooga Sundarrajan, and his consort Lakshmi as Mathuravalli. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered raja gopuram , the gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to be built by the Pandyas , with later additions by the Vijayanagara empire and Madurai Nayaks kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of
5379-722: Is one of the seven circles of the Tamil Nadu State Highway network. Madurai is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai) and provides local and inter city bus transport across four districts namely Madurai, Dindigul , Theni , and Virudhunagar . Madurai has four major bus stands, namely, Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus (MIBT), Arappalayam , Palanganatham and Periyar Bus stand. There are 12,754 registered three-wheeled vehicle called auto rickshaws which are commercially available for renting within
5542-683: Is predominantly spoken in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, though it is also the official language of several other states like Andaman and Nicobar , Tamil Nadu , Karnataka , Orissa and the cities of Kharagpur and Bellary . It is a part of the Dravidian language family, which is about 5,000 years old. Outside of the Telugu states , the largest number of Telugu speakers are found in Karnataka (3.7 million) and Tamil Nadu, making them
5705-485: Is referred by various names including "Madurai", "Koodal", "Malligai Maanagar", "Naanmadakoodal" and "Thirualavai". It is believed that Madurai is the derivative of the word Marutham , which refers to the type of landscape of the Sangam age . A town in the neighbouring Dindigul district is called Vada Madurai ( North Madurai ) and another in Sivagangai district is called Manamadurai . The different names by which
5868-729: Is represented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by six elected members, one each for the Madurai East, Madurai West, Madurai North, Madurai Central, Madurai South and Thirupparankundram constituencies. Most of Madurai city comes under the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency and elects a member to the Lok Sabha , the lower house of the Parliament of India , once every five years. From 1957,
6031-784: Is seen frequently on the Madurai Nayak coins. Chokkanatha Nayak, one of the last rulers of the dynasty, issued coins displaying various animals, such as the bear, elephant and lion. He also issued coins featuring Hanuman and Garuda . The inscriptions on the Nayak coins are in Tamil , Telugu , Kannada , and Nagari scripts. Unlike the coins of many of the earlier dynasties, the Nayak coins are easily available for coin-collectors. Telugu people Telugu people ( Telugu : తెలుగువారు , romanized : Teluguvāru ), also called Āndhras , are an ethno-linguistic group who speak
6194-643: Is spoken by 89.0% of the population. Saurashtra , is the largest minority language which is spoken by 5.4% of the population. Other significant minority languages include Telugu (2.7%) and Urdu (1.5%). Roman Catholics in Madurai are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madurai, while Protestants are affiliated with the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese of the Church of South India . In 2001, Slum-dwellers comprise 32.6 per cent of
6357-557: Is sub-urban of Madurai is business hub for automotive industries such as KUN BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mahindra, Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ashok Leyland, Jeep, Fiat India (FCA). The government has created Uchapatti-Thoppur satellite Township in Kappalur. Small Industries Development Corporation Kappalur has many polymer and houseware manufacturing units. Some software companies have opened their offices in Madurai. Software Technology Parks of India , an agency of
6520-453: Is the ancestor of Wayang , the popular Indonesian art form that has been a staple of Indonesian tourism. Telugu cinema is the largest film industry in India in terms of box office as well as admissions. The industry has produced some of India's most expensive and highest-grossing films , influencing Indian popular culture well beyond Telugu-speaking regions. Speakers of Telugu refer to it as simply Telugu or Telugoo . Older forms of
6683-861: Is used to construct Vimana —horizontal stepped tower. Most notable examples are the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda , Ramappa Temple in Palampet, and Kota Gullu in Ghanpur . Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreswara temple, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Mulugu . Telugu cinema is the largest film industry in India in terms of box-office as well as admissions. The industry has produced some of India's most expensive and highest-grossing films of all time over
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6846-634: The Amaravati School of Art , is regarded as one of the three major styles of ancient Indian art and had a great influence on art in South India , Sri Lanka , and Southeast Asia . Mahayana , the predominant Buddhist tradition in China , Japan , and Korea and the largest Buddhist denomination in the world, was developed among Telugus in Andhra. Telugu is one of six languages designated as
7009-710: The Delhi Sultans , and the inauguration of a unique architectural style. The dynasty consisted of 13 rulers, of whom nine were kings, two were queens, and two were joint-kings. The most notable among them were king Tirumala Nayaka and queen Rani Mangammal . Foreign trade was conducted mainly with the Dutch and the Portuguese , as the British and the French had not yet made inroads into the region. The Dalavay Agraharam Plates of Venkata I , mention that Virappa Nayaka,
7172-693: The Godavari river. Andhras and Kalingas supported the Kauravas during the Mahabharata war. Sahadeva defeated the kingdoms of Pandya, Andhra, Kalinga, Dravida, Odra and Chera while performing the Rajasuya Yajna . Buddhist references to Andhras are also found. Andhra was mentioned in the Sanskrit sources such as Aitareya Brahmana ( c. 800 BCE ). According to Aitareya Brahmana of
7335-513: The Kandy Nayaks . They ruled till 1815 with Kandy as their capital and were also the last ruling dynasty of Sri Lanka. The Kings of Kandy had from an early time sought marriages with Madurai and many of the queens were from Madurai. The Kandy Nayaks received military support from the Nayaks of Madurai in fighting off the Portuguese. And in the 17th and 18th centuries, marital alliances between
7498-635: The Madurai Monorail in 2011; as of 2020 , it remains in planning stages. Madurai International Airport , first used by the Royal Air Force in World War II in 1942., is located 12 kilometers from the city. The airport was declared a customs airport in 2012 allowing limited number of international flights. It offers domestic flights to some cities in India and international services to Colombo , Dubai and for Singapore on
7661-526: The Nawab of Arcot sent an expedition south to demand tribute and fealty from the kingdoms there, and in desperation, Meenakshi gave tribute to the Nawab's son-in-law, Chanda Sahib , to form an alliance. Bangaru Tirumalai retreated to the far south, in Madurai, and organized a large force of disgruntled polygars in 1736. Although they took Dindigul, Meenakshi and Chanda Sahib organized an army to attack Tirumalai. At
7824-471: The Pallava dynasty extended their rule across southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamilakam and established their capital at Kanchipuram . Their power increased during the reigns of Mahendravarman I (571–630) and Narasimhavarman I (630–668). The Pallavas dominated the southern Telugu-speaking region and northern Tamilakam until the end of the ninth century. Later, various dynasties have ruled the area, including
7987-773: The Pandyan Kingdom , Chola Empire , Madurai Sultanate , Vijayanagar Empire , Madurai Nayaks , Carnatic kingdom , and the British East India Company's British Raj . The city has a number of historical monuments, with the Koodal Azhagar temple , Meenakshi Temple and the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal being the most prominent. Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in South Tamil Nadu. The city
8150-489: The Pandyas were under attack from the Cholas and appealed to Krishnadevaraya for help. He then sent Nangama Nayaka to restore the Pandyas to their rightful throne. Nangama defeated the Cholas , but instead claimed the throne for himself and deposed the Pandyan king. So Krishnadevaraya sent Nangama's son Viswanatha Nayaka to defeat him, which he did. Thus he was made nayaka of the region. However, this story does not have epigraphic evidence to support it. Viswanatha Nayaka
8313-406: The Rigveda , the Andhras left North India from the banks of river Yamuna and migrated to South India . They were also mentioned in the Mahabharata and Buddhist Jataka tales . In the seventh century BCE, Asmaka was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas . Andhras were mentioned by Megasthenes in his Indica ( c. 310 BCE ) as being second only to Mauryans in military strength in
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#17327765302038476-439: The Rigveda . In the Mahabharata , the infantry of Satyaki was composed of a tribe called the Andhras, known for their long hair, tall stature, sweet language, and mighty prowess. They were also mentioned in the Buddhist Jataka tales . Megasthenes reported in his Indica ( c. 310 BCE ) that the Andhras, living in the Godavari and Krishna river deltas , were famous for their formidable military strength, which
8639-403: The Roman Empire . The kingdom reached its zenith under Gautamiputra Satakarni . Their capital city, Amaravati was the most prosperous city in India in 2nd century CE. At the end of the Satavahana rule, the Telugu region was divided into Kingdoms ruled by lords. In the late second century CE, the Andhra Ikshvakus ruled the eastern region along the Krishna River. During the fourth century,
8802-407: The Salankayanas , Cholas , Vishnukundinas and Eastern Chalukyas . Between 1163 and 1323 the Kakatiya dynasty emerged, bringing the distinct upland and lowland cultures of Telugu lands, which brought into being a feeling of cultural affinity between those who spoke the Telugu language . Kakatiya era also saw the development of a distinct style of architecture which improved and innovated upon
8965-449: The Telugu language and are native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh , Telangana and Yanam district of Puducherry . They are the most populous of the four major Dravidian linguistic groups. Telugu is the fourth most spoken language in India and the 14th most spoken native language in the world. A significant number of Telugus also reside in the Indian states of Karnataka , Tamil Nadu , Orissa , Maharashtra . Members of
9128-406: The Telugu diaspora are spread across countries like United States , Australia , Malaysia , Mauritius , UAE and others. Telugu is the fastest-growing language in the United States. It is also a protected language in South Africa . Andhra is an ethnonym used for Telugu people since antiquity. The earliest mention of the Andhras occurs in Aitareya Brahmana ( c. 800 BCE ) of
9291-528: The Thiagarajar College of Engineering being the oldest. The Madurai Law College , established in 1979, is one of the seven government law colleges in the state. It is administered by the Tamil Nadu Government Department of Legal Studies, and affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University . There are three teacher training institutes, two music colleges, three management institutes and 30 arts and sciences colleges in Madurai. The agricultural college and research institute in Madurai, started in 1965 by
9454-426: The pudu mandapa directly adjoining the complex. Other important works included the Azhagar kovil and Tiruparankundram Murugan Kovil in the outskirts of Madurai, as well as the expansion of the Ranganathaswamy temple complex in Srirangam . In the case of the Ranganathaswamy temple, the Nayakas expanded the original shrine to be seven concentric enclosures, each topped with towering gopurams . However this project
9617-434: The rayasam , chief of the bureaucracy. The kingdom was divided into provinces and local areas, each with its own governor and bureaucracy. The most basic unit was the village. Revenue would be earned through taxes on land. The Nayakas also had a parallel system of administration. They divided their territory into 72 palayams , each of which was ruled by a palaiyakkarar , better known as polygar . These warrior-chiefs had
9780-424: The 13th century, Kakatiyas unified various Telugu-speaking areas under one realm. Later, Telugu culture and literature flourished and reached its zenith during the late Vijayanagara Empire . After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, various Telugu rulers called Nayakas established independent kingdoms across South India serving the same function as Rajput warriors clans of northern India. Kandyan Nayaks ,
9943-441: The 3rd century BCE. Megasthenes may have visited Madurai during the 3rd century BCE, with the city referred as "Methora" in his accounts. The view is contested by some scholars who believe "Methora" refers to the north Indian city of Mathura , as it was a large and established city in the Mauryan Empire . Madurai is also mentioned in Kautilya 's (370–283 BCE) Arthashastra . Sangam literature like Maturaikkāñci records
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#173277653020310106-496: The 7th- or 8th-century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars ( Saivites ), namely Appar , Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar, address the city as Thirualavai . The Buddhist text Mahavamsa mentions Madurai in the context of Prince Vijaya 's (543–505 BCE) arrival in Sri Lanka with his 700 followers. According to the Mahavamsa, emissaries laden with precious gifts, jewels and pearls, were sent from Sri Lanka to Madurai of ancient Tamilakam . Their mission
10269-488: The Corporation of Madurai, is situated between the Gandhi museum and the Tamukkam grounds – it has a visitor average of 5,000 per day during holidays and 2,000–3,000 on working days. MGR Race Course Stadium is an athletic stadium which has a synthetic track and a swimming pool. Several National Meets are held here. It also hosts several international and national level Kabbadi Championships. Railway grounds at Arasaradi, Medical college grounds & Madura College Grounds are
10432-399: The Government of India, has authorised several such companies to receive benefits under its national information technology development program. The state government proposed two IT-based Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Madurai, and these have been fully occupied by various IT companies, HCLTech and Honeywell have their own campuses in ELCOT IT Park in Madurai. Meenakshi Amman Temple
10595-432: The Islamic calendar year to commemorate Islamic saints. The city hosts several radio stations, including the state-owned All India Radio and private channels like Hello FM , Radio Mirchi , Suryan FM and Radio City . The Hindu , The New Indian Express and The Times of India are the three principal English-language daily newspapers which have Madurai editions. Deccan Chronicle , though not printed in
10758-423: The Kandyan kings and Nayak princesses had become a matter of policy. The Madurai Nayakas followed a decentralized governance style. The king was supreme ruler, but his main advisor was the dalavai , who controlled both civil and military matters. The three most effective dalavais were Ariyanatha Mudaliar , Ramappayya and Narasappayya. The next most important figure was the pradhani or finance minister, and then
10921-527: The Karnata Kotikam Kings mentions the founder of the dynasty, Viswanatha Nayak , as belonging to the Garikepati family of the Balija caste. Dewan Bahadur Ramabadra Naidu , Zamindar of Vadagarai was a descendant of the famous warrior and diplomat Ramabhadra Nayak, who had held the post of Military Chief and Collector of Revenue under his close relative Viswanatha Nayak , the ruler of Madurai country. He belonged to Balija caste. According to Srivamsa Prakashika , an 18th century Telugu writing mentions
11084-515: The Madurai morning flower market. An average of 2,000 farmers sell flowers daily at the flower market. With the advent of Small Scale Industries (SSI) after 1991, the industrialisation of Madurai increased employment in the sector across the district from 63,271 in 1992–93 to 166,121 persons in 2001–02. Madurai is one of the few rubber growing areas in South India, and there are rubber-based industries in Madurai. Gloves, sporting goods, mats, other utility products and automobile rubber components are
11247-540: The Madurai parliament seat was held by the Indian National Congress seven times in the 1962–67, 1971–77, 1977–80, 1980–84, 1984–89, 1989–91 and 1991 elections. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won the seat three times during 1967–71, 1999–2004 and 2004–09 general elections. The Communist Party of India (1957–61), Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (1996–98), Janata Party (1998), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (2009–2014) and All India Anna Dravida Munnertra Kazhagam (2014–2020) have each won once. Part of
11410-402: The Persio-Tajik sultanate of central India. The struggle for Andhra ended with the victory of the Musunuri Nayaks over the Turkic Delhi Sultanate . The Telugus achieved independence under Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646). The Qutb Shahi dynasty of the Bahmani Sultanate succeeded that empire. The Qutub Shahis were tolerant of Telugu culture from the early 16th to
11573-452: The Portuguese to respect Nayaka authority in the region. Muttu Krishnappa Nayak is credited with the founding of Sethupathi dynasty in Ramnad. He was succeeded by his son Muttu Virappa Nayaka in 1609, who desired greater independence from his Vijayanagara overlords and thus stopped paying tribute regularly. After the death of Venkatapati Raya in 1614, a nobleman Gobburi Jagga Raya murdered his successor Sriranga II and his family. This fomented
11736-517: The Tamil language, the Tamil Sangam (about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE), were said to have been held at Madurai. Tamil poets of different epochs participated in these assemblies, and their compositions are referred to as Sangam literature . During the third Tamil sangam , the comparative merit of the poets was decided by letting the works float in the lotus tank of the temple. It
11899-675: The Thiruvonam festival celebrated in the temple. Koodal Azhagar temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabhandam , the 5th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Periyalvar , Thirumalisai Alvar and Thirumangai Alvar . The temple is classified as a Divya Desams , one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar and Koodal Sthala Purana . |date=September 2023}} Tevaram ,
12062-480: The Vaigai delta across Madurai North, Melur, Nilakottai and Uthamapalayam are known as "double-crop paddy belts". Farmers in the district supplement their income with subsidiary occupations like dairy farming, poultry-farming, pottery, brick making, mat-weaving and carpentry. Madurai is famed for its jasmine plantations, called Madurai Malli , primarily carried out at the foothills of Kodaikanal hills and traded at
12225-516: The Vijayanagara period. This architecture includes both completely indigenous elements such as square and rectangular bases with u-shaped ascending floors with numerous courts and verandahs, as well as double-curved eaves, gopuram -like towers and plastered sculptures as well as elements borrowed from the Bahmanis such as significant presence of arches, cusps, and geometric designs. This style was blended with indigenous Tamil architecture, for instance,
12388-416: The ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of Natya Shastra . It developed as a religious art linked to traveling bards, temples and spiritual beliefs, like all major classical dances of India. Other Telugu performing arts include: Amaravati School of Art is an ancient Indian art style that evolved in the region of Amaravati (then known as Dhānyakaṭaka) from 2nd century BCE to the end of the 3rd century CE. It
12551-463: The area covered under the Corporation of Madurai had a population of 1,017,865 with a sex-ratio of 999 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 100,324 were under the age of six, constituting 51,485 males and 48,839 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.27% and 0.31% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city
12714-417: The area of its jurisdiction from seventy-two wards to one hundred wards, an increase in area from 51.82 square kilometres (12,810 acres) to 147.997 square kilometres (36,571 acres). Madurai is built around the Koodal Azhagar temple and Meenakshi Temple , which acted as the geographic and ritual centre of the ancient city of Madurai. The city is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular streets around
12877-413: The banks of River Vaigai , 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 "Thoonga Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps". Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language . The third Tamil Sangam , a major congregation of Tamil scholars, is said to have been held in the city. The recorded history of
13040-623: The battle of Ammayanayakkanur near Dindigul, Bangaru Tirumalai's forces were defeated and he fled to Sivaganga. Once he was admitted into the Tiruchirappalli fort, however, Chanda Sahib declared himself king and imprisoned Meenakshi in her palace, ending the Madurai Nayakas for good. Tradition states she poisoned herself in 1739. Some of the family members of Bangaru Thirumalai established the Nayak dynasty in Sri Lanka known as
13203-478: The celestial wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) with Sundareswarar (Shiva). During the Cradle festival, the festive idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are taken in procession to a mirror chamber and set on a rocking swing for nine days. Avanimoolam festival is celebrated during the month of September when the 64 sacred games of Hindu god Shiva, thiruvilayadal are recited. The Thepporchavam festival or float festival
13366-420: The city and the surrounding streets appearing liken a lotus and its petals. The city's axes were aligned with the four-quarters of the compass, and the four gateways of the temple provided access to it. The wealthy and higher echelons of the society were placed in streets close to the temple, while the poorest were placed in the fringe streets. With the advent of British rule during the 19th century, Madurai became
13529-419: The city as matiray , an Old Tamil word meaning a "walled city". Madurai is one of the many temple towns known for Arshad in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The region is believed to have been covered with Kadamba forest and hence called Kadambavanam. The city
13692-668: 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 Archeological Survey of India in Manalur. The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by
13855-436: The city has been referred to historically are listed in the 7th-century poem Thiruvilayaadal Puraanam written by Paranjothi Munivar. Vaishnava texts refer to Madurai as the "southern Mathura", probably similar to Tenkasi ( southern Kashi ). Koodal means an assembly or congregation of scholarly people, referring to the three Tamil Sangams held at Madurai. Naanmadakoodal, meaning the junction of four towers, refers to
14018-584: The city which falls under Thirupparankundram assembly constituency comes under the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency . Law and order is enforced by the Tamil Nadu Police , which, for administrative purposes, has constituted Madurai city as a separate district. The district is divided into four sub-divisions, namely Thallakulam, Anna Nagar, Thilagar Thidal and Town, with a total of 27 police stations. The Madurai city police force
14181-454: The city, is another English-language daily newspaper available in the city. The most read Tamil-language daily morning newspapers include Dinamalar , Dina Thanthi , Dinamani and Dinakaran – all these newspapers have editions from Madurai. There are also daily Tamil evening newspapers like Tamil Murasu , Malai Murasu and Maalai Malar published in Madurai. Television broadcasting from Chennai for whole of Tamil Nadu
14344-829: The city. Over the government operated city buses that are used for public transport, there are 236 registered private mini-buses that support local transportation. Madurai Junction is an important railway junction in southern Tamil Nadu and constitutes a separate division of the Southern Railway zone . There are direct trains from Madurai connecting the important cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai , Coimbatore , Kanyakumari , Tiruchirappalli , Tirunelveli , Karaikudi , Mayiladuthurai , Rameswaram , Thanjavur , Tiruttani, Tirupathi and Virudhachalam . Madurai has rail connectivity with most important cities and towns in India. Madurai has rail connectivity with important cities and towns in India. The state government has announced
14507-586: The country and abroad. About 9,100,000 tourists visited Madurai in 2010, out of which foreigners numbered 524,000. The palace complex of Thirumalai Nayak Palace was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style by Thirumalai Nayakar in 1636 CE. It is a national monument maintained by the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department. The daily sound and light show organized by the department explains the virtues of King Thirumalai and
14670-625: The data available with the Indian Meteorological Department on Madurai over a period of 62 years indicate rising trend in atmospheric temperature over Madurai city, attributed to urbanisation, growth of vehicles and industrial activity. The maximum temperature of 42 °C or 107.6 °F for the decade of 2001 to 2010 was recorded in 2004 and in 2010. Madurai has been ranked 42nd best “National Clean Air City” (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India. According to 2011 census based on pre-expansion limits,
14833-709: The death of Kulasekara Pandian (1268–1308 CE), Madurai came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate . The Madurai Sultanate then seceded from Delhi and functioned as an independent kingdom until its gradual annexation by the Vijayanagara Empire in 1378 CE. Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar in 1559 CE under the Nayaks . Nayak rule ended in 1736 CE and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times by Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754 CE), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764 CE) in
14996-475: The dynasty, or their wives and ministers, made generous donations to the temple and its construction so that it grew to a size of 254 by 238 metres. The Nayakas mainly followed the Dravidian style of architecture, with much emphasis on towering structures and elaborate carving. Much of the work centered around the addition of various mandapas , or columnated halls, filled with a variety of carved pillars such as
15159-478: The emperor sent Nangama's son, Viswanatha, with a large army to recapture Madurai . Viswanatha Nayaka defeated his father and sent him as prisoner to Krishnadevaraya , who in turned pardoned Nangama Nayaka for his valued service. After defeating his father Krishnadevaraya made Viswanatha governor of Madurai and other Tamil provinces in 1529, beginning the Madurai Nayaka dynasty. Another story goes that
15322-620: The end of the 17th centuries. The arrival of Europeans (the French under the Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau and the English under Robert Clive ) altered polity of the region. In 1765, Clive and the chief and council at Visakhapatnam obtained the Northern Circars from Mughal emperor Shah Alam . The British achieved supremacy when they defeated Maharaja Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju of Vizianagaram in 1792. Andhra's modern foundation
15485-550: The entire Indian subcontinent . They had 30 fortified towns along the Godavari River and an army of 1,00,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants. They are mentioned at the time of the death of the great Mauryan King Ashoka in 232 BCE. The first major Andhra polity was the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE) which ruled over the entire Deccan plateau and established trade relations with
15648-453: The epic Mahabharata . It was a southern kingdom, currently identified as Indian state of Andhra Pradesh where it got its name from. Andhra communities are also mentioned in the Vayu and Matsya Purana. In the Mahabharata the infantry of Satyaki was composed by a tribe called Andhras , known for their long hair, tall stature, sweet language, and mighty prowess. They lived along the banks of
15811-437: The establishment of municipality in land ceiling and tax collection in Madurai and Dindigul districts under the direct administration of the officers of the government. The city, along with the district, was resurveyed between 1880 and 1885 CE and subsequently, five municipalities were constituted in the two districts and six taluk boards were set up for local administration. Police stations were established in Madurai city, housing
15974-449: The existing modes. Most notable examples are the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda , Ramappa Temple in Palampet, Warangal Fort , Golconda Fort and Kota Gullu in Ghanpur . During this period, the Telugu language emerged as a literary medium with the writings of Nannaya, Tikkana , Eranna , Pothana etc. are the translators and poets of the great Hindu epics like Ramayana , Mahabharatha , Bhagavatha etc. Telingana,
16137-659: The features of the palace. The palace of Rani Mangamma has been renovated to house one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas ( Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai ) in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse . A visit by Martin Luther King Jr. to the museum inspired him to lead peaceful protests against discrimination. The Eco park, situated in Tallakulam, features fountains and lighting in trees using optical fibres. Rajaji children park, maintained by
16300-410: The festivals associated. The temple prakarams (outer precincts of a temple) and streets accommodate an elaborate festival calendar in which dramatic processions circumambulate the shrines at varying distances from the centre. The temple chariots used in processions are progressively larger in size based on the size of the concentric streets. Ancient Tamil classics record the temple as the centre of
16463-716: The first Indian state formed primarily on a linguistic basis, was carved from the Madras Presidency in 1953. Although the Muslim Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to retain independence from India, he was forced to cede his kingdom to the Dominion of India in 1948 to form Hyderabad State . In 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking portion of Hyderabad State (the Telangana region) to create
16626-489: The flat and fertile plain of the river Vaigai , which runs in the northwest–southeast direction through the city, dividing it into two almost equal halves. The Sirumalai and Nagamalai hills lie to the north and west of Madurai. The land in and around Madurai is utilised largely for agricultural activity, which is fostered by the Periyar Dam . Madurai lies southeast of the western ghats, and the surrounding region occupies
16789-403: The four major temples for which Madurai was known for. The sangam literature mentions the Koodal Azhagar temple at the centre of the city. Historians are of the opinion that Koodal Azhagar temple finds mention in Sangam literature (3rd century BCE–3rd century CE) in works like Madurai Kanchi by Mangudi Marudan, Paripāṭal , Kaliththokai and Silappatikaram . Madurai Kanchi details
16952-558: The full-fledged cricket stadiums in the city. The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, which include Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, the Chittirai Festival and the Car Festival . The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, also called Chittirai festival, celebrated during April–May every year attracts 1 million visitors. Legend has it that Hindu god Vishnu, as Alagar, rode on a golden horse to Madurai to attend
17115-478: The government of Madras Presidency under C. Rajagopalachari in 1939 removed restrictions prohibiting Shanars and Dalits from entering Hindu temples. The temple entry movement was first led in Madurai Meenakshi temple by independence activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer in 1939. In 1971, the municipality of Madurai was upgraded to a Municipal Corporation . In 2011 the Corporation of Madurai expanded
17278-524: The grandson of Viswanatha Nayak of the Madurai line mentions him with the title of lord of Ayyavalipura. (lords of the town of Ayyavole). The lords of Ayyavolu were called Vira- Balanjas. The term Vira- balija in Telugu , Vira- Banajiga in Kannada and Vira- Valanjiyar in Tamil , all of them mean valiant merchants. These merchants styled themselves as protectors of Vira Balanja Dharma and their capital
17441-428: The headquarters of a large colonial political complex and an industrial town; with urbanisation, the social hierarchical classes became unified. The Corporation of Madurai has an area of 147.97 square kilometres or 57.13 square miles. Madurai is located at 9°56′N 78°07′E / 9.93°N 78.12°E / 9.93; 78.12 . It has an average elevation of 134 metres. The city of Madurai lies on
17604-617: The headquarters of the District Superintendent. It was in Madurai, in 1921, that Mahatma Gandhi , pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India, first adopted the loin cloth as his mode of dress after seeing agricultural labourers wearing it. Leaders of the independence movement in Madurai included N. M. R. Subbaraman , Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar and Mohammad Ismail Sahib. The Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act passed by
17767-785: The importance of Madurai as a capital city of the Pandyan dynasty. Madurai is mentioned in the works of Roman historians Pliny the Younger (61 – c. 112 CE ), Ptolemy ( c. 90 – c. CE 168 ), those of the Greek geographer Strabo (64/63 BCE – c. 24 CE ), and also in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea . After the Sangam age, most of present-day Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, came under
17930-471: The insurgents and invaded Thanjavur in retaliation, briefly placing his brother Muddu Alagiri as ruler there. But Madurai soon lost control of the region as Alagiri declared his independence and the Marathas under Venkoji conquered the province in 1675. Chokkanatha then waged war with Mysore and lost more territory, but his successor Muttu Virappa III recaptured it. After his death in 1689, Muttu Virappa III
18093-524: The invasion and launched a counterattack in which they laid siege to Mysore. Later in 1635, Travancore stopped paying tribute to Madurai so Tirumala Nayaka sent armies to attack him, which forced Travancore to resume tribute payments. In 1635, Tirumala Nayaka sent Ramappayya against the Sethupathi of Ramnad, who had rejected his decision on a succession matter. In this campaign, the Portuguese supported Tirumala Nayaka, and in return he allowed them to build
18256-493: The jungle around the banks of the Kaveri near Tiruchirappalli and destroyed hideouts of robbers there. He also expanded the borders of the kingdom so it included most of modern southern and western Tamil Nadu at his death. However, many of the local chieftains were still chafing under his rule, and so to appease them, Viswanatha's chief minister, Ariyanatha Mudaliar , assisted him in using the palayam or poligar system. The system
18419-468: The kingdom went to his son Virappa Nayaka. Some documents claim the two sons of Krishnappa Nayaka were co-rulers, while other historians claim some member of the royal family was associated with rule, but not actually a ruler, like a yuva raja system in many of the princely states. During this time he crushed another revolt of polygars who were illegitimate descendants of the Pandyas. Virappa reigned over
18582-514: The last dynasty to rule Sri Lanka were of Telugu descent. In this era, Telugu became the language of high culture throughout South India . Vijaya Ramaswamy compared it to the overwhelming dominance of French as the cultural language of modern Europe during roughly the same era. Telugu also predominates in the evolution of Carnatic music , one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music . The architecture developed by Andhras in Krishna river valley in early first centuries CE , called
18745-623: The last ruler of the dynasty, Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Nayak, as belonging to the Garikepati family of the Balija caste. According to a The Madura Country A Manual written by J. H. Nelson in 1868, it mentions that the descendants of the Madurai Nayaks belonged to the Balija community. They started as kartakkals (agents) of the Vijayanagar empire in southern regions of what would become Tamil Nadu . That region had long been
18908-420: The last year of his life he abdicated the throne and was alive for his son's investiture with ruling power in 1564, and died thereafter. Viswanatha's son, Krishnappa, was crowned in 1564. He immediately faced threats from nobles disgruntled with the new palayam system brought in by his father. These nobles, led by Tumbichchi Nayaka instigated a revolt among some of the polygars, which was crushed by Krishnappa. In
19071-405: The later Sanskritisation of it. If so the derivation itself must have been quite ancient because Triglyphum , Trilingum and Modogalingam are attested in ancient Greek sources, the last of which can be interpreted as a Telugu rendition of " Trilinga ". Andhra is an ethnonym used for Telugu people since antiquity. As per Iravatham Mahadevan , non-Aryan people living beyond the borders of
19234-1088: The liberal use of spices in Andhra cuisine. Rice is the staple in Telugu culture along with Ragi (రాగి) which is popular in Rayalaseema and Palnadu regions. Telugu is a South-Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. The oldest inscriptions with Telugu words date to 400 BCE found at Bhattiprolu in Guntur district . Other early inscriptions with more refined language were found in Kantamanenivarigudem, Guntupalli in West Godavari district and Gummadidurru and Ghantasala in Krishna district . The earliest inscription completely written in Telugu dates to 575 CE were found at Kalamalla village in Kadapa district. Telugu has an unbroken and diverse literary tradition of over
19397-580: The middle of the 18th century. In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency . The British government made donations to the Meenakshi temple and participated in the Hindu festivals during the early part of their rule. The city evolved as a political and industrial complex through the 19th and 20th centuries to become
19560-418: The most produced items by these industries. Automobile manufacturers are the major consumers of rubber components produced in the city. There are numerous textile, granite and chemical industries operating in Madurai. Kashmir gold granite and Kashmir white granite are the trade names of two types of granite produced in Madurai. Madurai is promoted as a tier II city for IT and Industry . Kappalur which
19723-583: The municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning, and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 100 members, one each from the 100 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor. The corporation received several awards in 2008 for implementing development works. The city of Madurai
19886-623: The name include Teluṅgu and Tenuṅgu . Tenugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *ten ("south") to mean "the people who lived in the south/southern direction". The name Telugu , then, is a result of an "n" to "l" alternation established in Telugu. P. Chenchiah and Bhujanga Rao note that Atharvana Acharya in the 13th century wrote a grammar of Telugu, calling it the Trilinga Shabdānushāsana (or Trilinga Grammar) . However, most scholars note that Atharvana's grammar
20049-533: The other six abodes of the Hindu god Murugan, is located atop the Solaimalai hill. Thiruparankundram is a hill 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away from Madurai, where the Hindu god Murugan is believed to have married Deivanai. The temple is the first among the six holy abodes of Murugan, the Arupadai Veedu , literally "Six Battle Camps", and one of the most visited tourist spots in Madurai. The temple has
20212-1096: The overseas Telugu diaspora are spread across countries like United States , Australia , Canada , United Kingdom , New Zealand in the Anglosphere ; Malaysia , Myanmar , Mauritius , Fiji , South Africa ; UAE , Saudi Arabia , Kuwait in the Arabian Gulf . Telugu speakers number more than 1,000,000 in the United States , with the highest concentration in Central New Jersey, Texas, and California. There are around 300,000 Telugu people in Malaysia , and 200,000 in Myanmar . Madurai Madurai ( / ˈ m ʌ d ʊ r aɪ / MUH -doo-rai , US also / ˌ m ɑː d ə ˈ r aɪ / MAH -də- RY , Tamil: [mɐðuɾɐi̯] ), formerly known by its colonial name Madura
20375-603: The period 1891 to 1896, when no elections were held due to violent factionalism. During the early years of independent India, the Madurai municipality was dominated by reformists of the Indian National Congress . Madurai was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 1 May 1971 as per the Madurai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1971. It is the second oldest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai. The functions of
20538-465: The petty chieftains, which made him unpopular. In addition, experienced officers like Nangama Nayaka were chafing under the strict control Krishnadevaraya imposed on them. Towards the end of Krishnadevaraya's reign, trouble erupted in the south as the Chola Nayakas openly revolted and fled to Travancore , while Nangama began defying central orders while still claiming power of deputy. In response,
20701-415: The plains of South India and contains several mountain spurs. The soil type in central Madurai is predominantly clay loam, while red loam and black cotton types are widely prevalent in the outer fringes of the city. Paddy is the major crop, followed by pulses, millet, oil seed, cotton and sugarcane. As is typical for Tamil Nadu, Madurai has a hot semi-arid climate ( BSh ), although it borders closely upon
20864-465: The prototype of images in different Buddhist countries was standardised here. The Amaravati style of Buddha image retained its popularity in Sri Lanka till the 12th century. Kakatiya era also saw the development of a distinct style of architecture which improved and innovated upon the existing modes. It is a fusion of Dravidian architecture and Nagara Bhumija styles in which sandbox technology
21027-522: The region inhabited by the Indo-Aryan speakers were known as the Andhras. Mahadevan notes that since most Dravidian -speaking men had names ending with the suffIx -(a)nṟ , the Dravidian etymon -(a)nṟ was borrowed as a loanword into Indo-Aryan as andha and later as āndhra to denote the name of the neighbouring Dravidian-speaking people. Andhra ( Telugu : ఆంధ్ర ) was a kingdom mentioned in
21190-565: The rule of the Kalabhra dynasty , which was ousted by the Pandyas around 590 CE. The Pandyas were ousted from Madurai by the Chola dynasty during the early 9th century. The city was fought over between the Cholas and the Pandyas during the 12th century, changing hands several times, until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital. After
21353-567: The same year, he sent a contingent to the Battle of Talikota but it could not arrive in time. The defeat of Rama Raya made the Nayakas virtually independent. When the king of Kandy, a friend of Tumbichchi Nayaka, stopped sending tribute, Krishnappa then led an invasion of Kandy. In this invasion he killed the king of Kandy, sent the late king's wife and children to Anuradhapura and placed his own brother-in-law Vijaya Gopala Naidu as his viceroy there to ensure tribute. After his death in 1572, power in
21516-408: The sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for Tamils and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature , though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE. The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day and around 25,000 during Fridays. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple. Koodal Azhagar Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on
21679-553: The second largest language groups in those neighbouring states. In Karnataka, Telugu people are predominantly found in the border districts with majority in Bengaluru and Bellary city. In Maharashtra , the Telugu population is over 1.4 million, followed by 0.7 million in Orissa . Other states with significant populations include West Bengal , Chhattisgarh and Gujarat with 200,000, 150,000 and 100,000 respectively. Members of
21842-496: The second lowest crime rate at 169.1 of all the cities in Tamil Nadu. The city is also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court , one of only a few outside the state capitals of India. It started functioning in July 2004. The National Highways NH 7 , NH 45B , NH 208 and NH 49 pass through Madurai. The state highways passing through the city are SH-32, SH-33 and SH-72, which connect various parts of Madurai district. Madurai
22005-643: The south side of the Vaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. The temple is dedicated to Maha Vishnu . It has idols of the Navagraha (nine planet deities), which are otherwise found only in Shiva temples. the temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It
22168-455: The state government, provides agricultural education to aspirants in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. All India Institutes of Medical Sciences , a premier medical institution, is also under construction in Madurai and will cover 224 acres (910,000 m ) of land, at an estimated cost of ₹ 1,264 crore (US$ 150 million), and additionally allotted ₹ 736 crore (US$ 88 million) total around ₹ 2,000 crore (US$ 240 million) in
22331-539: The state of Andhra Pradesh . The Lok Sabha approved the formation of Telangana from ten northwestern districts of Andhra Pradesh on 18 February 2014. Different regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana all produce distinctive variations of Telugu cuisine. Telugu cuisine is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste. Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of red chili and rice in India. The concentration of red chili production in Andhra Pradesh has led to
22494-479: The sub-urban Thoppur Madurai district. There are a total of 369 primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in the city. Madurai was traditionally an agrarian society, with rice paddies as the main crop. Cotton crop cultivation in the regions with black soil in Madurai district was introduced during the Nayaka rule during the 16th century to increase the revenue from agriculture. The paddy fields cultivated in
22657-454: The subsequently of part of the city into the Theni district in 1997. The compounded annual growth rate dropped from 4.10 per cent during 1971–81 to 1.27 per cent during 1991–2004. The municipality of Madurai was constituted on 1 November 1866 as per the Town Improvement Act of 1865. The municipality was headed by a chairperson and elections were regularly conducted for the post except during
22820-523: The temple during the 16th century. The Kallalagar temple , Alagar Koyil , is a celebrated Vishnu temple 21 kilometres (13 mi) northeast of Madurai situated at the foothills of Solaimalai. The deity, Kallazhagar, is believed to be the brother of Meenakshi and worshiped by Meenakshi, the presiding deity at the Meenakshi temple. The festival calendars of these two temples overlap during the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam festival. The temple
22983-431: The temple. Viswanatha Nayak (1529–64 CE), the first Madurai Nayak king, redesigned the city in accordance with the principles laid out by Shilpa Shastras (Sanskrit: śilpa śāstra , also anglicised as silpa sastra meaning rules of architecture) related to urban planning. These squares retain their traditional names of Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to the Tamil month names and also to
23146-440: The total population, much higher than the national average of 15.05 per cent. The increase in growth rate to 50 per cent from 1971 to 1981 is due to the city's upgrade to a municipal corporation in 1974 and the subsequent inclusion of 13 Panchayats into the corporation limits. The decline in the population growth rate between 1981 and 2001 is due to the bifurcation of Madurai district into two, Madurai and Dindigul in 1984, and
23309-640: The university in and around the city, consisting of autonomous colleges, aided colleges, self-financing colleges, constituent colleges, evening colleges and other approved institutions. There are seven polytechnical schools and five Industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Madurai, with the Government ITI and the Government Polytechnic for Women being the most prominent of them all. There are two government medical institutes in Madurai, Madurai Medical College and Homoeopathic Medical College, Thirumangalam and 11 paramedical institutes. There are fifteen engineering colleges in Madurai affiliated to Anna University , with
23472-407: The use of cylindrical columns like Tamil wooden architecture, to create new architectural styles for grand buildings such as the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal. Only two sections of this palace still stand, the dance hall and audience hall. The Nayakas also did many public works projects such as irrigation canals and fortresses. Some early Madurai Nayaka coins portray the figure of the king. The bull also
23635-616: The winter season. Being equidistant from mountains and the sea, it experiences similar monsoon pattern with Northeast monsoon and Southwest monsoon , with the former providing more rain during October to December. The average annual rainfall for the Madurai district is about 85.76 cm. Temperatures during summer generally reach a maximum of 42 °C or 107.6 °F and a minimum of 26.3 °C or 79.3 °F, although temperatures up to 43 °C or 109.4 °F are not uncommon. Winter temperatures range between 29.6 °C or 85.3 °F and 18 °C or 64.4 °F. A study based on
23798-442: The years. Important festivals celebrated by Telugu people include: The Telugu people are subdivided into several castes and communities such as the Yadav , Telugu Brahmin , Komati , Reddy , Raju , Kamma , Kapu , Telaga , Balija , Velama , Boya , Devanga , Padmasali , Bhatraju , Goud , Mala , Madiga , Jangam , Kuruba , Relli , and Vaddera . Telugu is the third most common language in India, after Bengali. Telugu
23961-403: Was 81.95%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The urban agglomeration of Madurai had a population of 1,465,625, and is the third largest in Tamil Nadu and the 31st in India. According to the religious census of 2011, Madurai had 85.83% Hindus , 8.54% Muslims , 5.18% Christians and 0.47% others. Tamil is the main language, and the standard dialect is the Madurai Tamil dialect, and
24124-454: Was a quasi-fedual organisation of the country, which was divided into multiple palayams or small provinces; and each palayam was ruled by a palayakkarar or a petty chief. Ariyanatha organized the Pandyan kingdom into 72 palayams and ruled over the 72 dry-zone poligar chiefs. Of these 72, Kurvikulam and Ilayarasanendal, which were ruled by Kamma Nayakas of the Pemmasani , Komatineni and Ravella clans, were considered royal palayams . In
24287-421: Was at Ayyavole or Aihole in Bijapur district of Karnataka . Description of the Nayakas of Madurai was compiled by an official of the Dutch East India Company in 1677, it mentions that the founder of the dynasty, Viswanatha Nayak , as belonging to the Wellen Chetti merchant community. Originally, the Nayakas were Telugu-speaking Balija Chetti warrior from present-day Andhra Pradesh . The Kaifiyat of
24450-449: Was believed that a divine force would cause the work of superior merit to float on the surface, while the inferior ones would sink. The American College is the oldest college in Madurai, and was established in 1881 by American Christian missionaries. The Lady Doak College , established in 1948, is the oldest women's college in Madurai. Thiagarajar College (established in 1949), Madura College (established in 1889), Fatima College
24613-453: Was for some time "the greatest monument in Buddhist Asia", and "the jewel in the crown of early Indian art". Apart from Amaravati, the style is also found in Nagarjunakonda and Chandavaram Buddhist site . Largely because of the maritime trading links of the East Indian coast, the Amaravati school of sculpture had great influence on art in South India , Sri Lanka , and South-East Asia . Buddha image in sculptures which later on became
24776-417: Was incomplete when the Nayak dynasty fell and has since been continued into the modern-day. Although temple architecture was the main pursuit of the Nayakas, they constructed other buildings as well. Thirumala Nayaka is famous for his huge Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal , which George Mitchell speculated must have been the largest of all royal residences in the 17th century, develops earlier palace architecture from
24939-424: Was laid in the struggle for Indian independence. India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. Potti Sreeramulu 's campaign for a state independent of the Madras Presidency and Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu and Kandukuri Veeresalingam 's social-reform movements led to the formation of Andhra State , with Kurnool as its capital and freedom-fighter Prakasam Pantulu as its first chief minister. Andhra,
25102-445: Was mainly used by the common people, although there were some Telugu cultivators in the region. The Madurai Nayakas, on the other hand, had Telugu as mother tongue but could also speak Tamil. The Nayakas were great patrons of literature in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit. Although most kings patronized mainly poetry (considered "divine"), under Nayaka patronage Telugu prose flourished. The earliest Muslim work in Tamil that survives complete
25265-440: Was more interested in scholarship and learning than ruling, and so real power fell to his chief counselor and commander of the army, who were known to abuse their power prodigiously. After his death in 1732, his wife, Queen Meenakshi , decided to adopt the son of Bangaru Tirumalai Nayaka , a member of the royal house. However there was severe strife between Bangaru Tirumalai and Meenakshi, and he led an uprising against her. In 1734,
25428-482: Was not originally independent, but was treated as just another governor who the emperor had sent to keep control over the provinces. Originally he had control over Chola Nadu as well, which was ruled by a feudatory Chola prince, but this was transferred to the Thanjavur Nayakas . In 1544, Viswanatha Nayaka helped Rama Raya 's army subdue Travancore, which had been refusing to pay tribute. Viswanatha also rebuilt fortifications at Madurai and made travel safer. He cleared
25591-459: Was on his sickbed, and so he entrusted his defense to the Sethupathi of Ramnad, who had just emerged from a period of chaos. Ragunatha Thevar managed to drive back Mysore and in return all tribute was cancelled from him. Tirumala was succeeded by his son in 1659, who ruled for only four months, and then was succeeded by Chokkanatha Nayaka. In the first part of his reign, his army commander and chief minister revolted, supported by Thanjavur. He crushed
25754-540: Was second only to that of the Maurya Empire in the entire Indian subcontinent . The first major Andhra polity was the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE–2nd century CE) which ruled over the entire Deccan plateau and even distant areas of western and central India. They established trade relations with the Roman Empire and their capital city, Amaravati was the most prosperous city in India in 2nd century CE. Inscriptions in Old Telugu script (Vengi script) were found as far away as Indonesia and Myanmar . In
25917-403: Was started on 15 August 1975. Direct-to-home cable television services are provided by DD Direct Plus and other private service providers. Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city is the headquarters of the Madurai region of TNEB and along with its suburbs, forms the Madurai Metro Electricity Distribution Circle, which
26080-473: Was succeeded by his brother Tirumala Nayaka , either as de facto or de jure ruler, in 1623. One of his first acts was to shift the capital back to Madurai, both as a better protection against invasion and its religious significance. The change took 10 years and was finally done in 1635. He also increased the army size to 30,000 to better work against. The kingdom was invaded again by Mysore in 1625, but Tirumala and his generals Ramappayya and Ranganna Nayaka crushed
26243-471: Was succeeded by his infant son with Rani Mangammal , Virappa's mother, as regent. With the Mughal juggernaut approaching southern India, Rani Mangammal recognised it would be better to pay tribute to the Mughals than have them invade. She supporter their capture of Jinji from Rajaram, who would otherwise have attacked Madurai and Thanjavur, and ruled the fort as a Mughal vassal. Muttu Virappa III's son Vijayaranga Chokkanatha reached maturity in 1704. However, he
26406-419: Was titled Atharvana Karikavali. Appa Kavi in the 17th century explicitly wrote that Telugu was derived from Trilinga . Scholar Charles P. Brown made a comment that it was a "strange notion" since the predecessors of Appa Kavi had no knowledge of such a derivation. George Abraham Grierson and other linguists doubt this derivation, holding rather that Telugu was the older term and Trilinga must be
26569-443: Was to secure a bride for Prince Vijaya. The Pandyan King of Madurai agreed to the proposal. He not only sent his own daughter to marry Prince Vijaya but also requested other families to offer their daughters to marry the prince's ministers and retainers. So, along with the Princess and hundreds of maidens, craftsmen and a thousand families from the eighteen guilds were also sent to Sri Lanka. Madurai has been inhabited since at least
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