DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0452
442 Temples and Sacred Places. Madura.
Of the others which I visited, the temples at Madura,
Ramesvara, Trichinopoly, Kanjivaram, Tinnevelly, and the
shrine of Kapalesvara at Nasik (one of the oldest), appeared
to me most worthy of note.
At the Madura temple Siva is worshipped as Sundaresvara,
a name given to him as the husband of Minakshi (corrupted
into Mlnacl), the deified daughter of a Pandya king1.
A very extensive and imposing series of shrines, passages,
and galleries, including a thousand-pillared open hall of great
beauty, constitute the temple. These are enclosed by a high
wall, inside of which and encircling the interior building is an
open road or way for the benefit of pious persons who use it for
reverential circumambulation (pradakshina) round the sacred
shrine. Two lofty Gopuras form the entrance to the temple,
each leading by long corridors to the two principal shrines.
That on the left leads to the shrine of Minakshi (commonly
called Mlnacl); that on the right terminates with the Lihga
shrine. It is noteworthy that near the latter are images of
the five Pandava princes who are generally connected with
the worship of Krishna2. Various interesting carvings and
sculptured figures are in the neighbouring corridors. It is
evident that Minakshi is the real popular deity of the dis-
trict, and that in the estimation of the inhabitants of Madura
her consort Siva is quite secondary.
I happened accidentally to witness a festival held in her
honour called Tailotsava, ' the oil festival.' A coarse image of
the goddess, profusely decorated with jewels and having a high
head-dress of hair, was carried in the centre of a long proces-
1 The temple is commonly called the Minakshi-sundaresvara pagoda,
the wife's name being placed first, as it generally is in other cases also
(see p. 184). The legend is that Minakshi was bo*n with three breasts,
but one disappeared on meeting with her future husband Siva. She was
then converted into a local goddess of great celebrity.
2 This is an evidence of the tolerant spirit which marks Hinduism.
Where Saivism got the better of Vaishnavism in the South, the Vaishnava
ornaments were respected and allowed to remain in Saiva temples.
Of the others which I visited, the temples at Madura,
Ramesvara, Trichinopoly, Kanjivaram, Tinnevelly, and the
shrine of Kapalesvara at Nasik (one of the oldest), appeared
to me most worthy of note.
At the Madura temple Siva is worshipped as Sundaresvara,
a name given to him as the husband of Minakshi (corrupted
into Mlnacl), the deified daughter of a Pandya king1.
A very extensive and imposing series of shrines, passages,
and galleries, including a thousand-pillared open hall of great
beauty, constitute the temple. These are enclosed by a high
wall, inside of which and encircling the interior building is an
open road or way for the benefit of pious persons who use it for
reverential circumambulation (pradakshina) round the sacred
shrine. Two lofty Gopuras form the entrance to the temple,
each leading by long corridors to the two principal shrines.
That on the left leads to the shrine of Minakshi (commonly
called Mlnacl); that on the right terminates with the Lihga
shrine. It is noteworthy that near the latter are images of
the five Pandava princes who are generally connected with
the worship of Krishna2. Various interesting carvings and
sculptured figures are in the neighbouring corridors. It is
evident that Minakshi is the real popular deity of the dis-
trict, and that in the estimation of the inhabitants of Madura
her consort Siva is quite secondary.
I happened accidentally to witness a festival held in her
honour called Tailotsava, ' the oil festival.' A coarse image of
the goddess, profusely decorated with jewels and having a high
head-dress of hair, was carried in the centre of a long proces-
1 The temple is commonly called the Minakshi-sundaresvara pagoda,
the wife's name being placed first, as it generally is in other cases also
(see p. 184). The legend is that Minakshi was bo*n with three breasts,
but one disappeared on meeting with her future husband Siva. She was
then converted into a local goddess of great celebrity.
2 This is an evidence of the tolerant spirit which marks Hinduism.
Where Saivism got the better of Vaishnavism in the South, the Vaishnava
ornaments were respected and allowed to remain in Saiva temples.