அருள்மிகு மீனாட்சி சுந்தரேஸ்வரர் திருக்கோயில், மதுரைArulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai
Sthala Mahātmyam
The Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai is among the foremost Devi shrines of Tamil Nadu and is counted with Kanchi Kamakshi and Kashi Visalakshi as one of the three great Shakti centres. The sthala legend tells that the childless Pandya king Malayadhwaja and queen Kanchanamalai performed a yagna, from whose sacred fire arose a young girl bearing three breasts. A divine voice foretold that the third breast would vanish when she met her Lord. Raised as a warrior-princess, she conquered the three worlds; on beholding Shiva at Kailasa the prophecy was fulfilled. Shiva came to Madurai as Sundareswarar and wedded her, ruling as Sundara Pandyan. Meenakshi, the fish-eyed goddess, is enshrined in emerald-green hue holding a parrot, sovereign of Madurai. The vast complex is famed for its towering gopurams, the thousand-pillared hall and golden-lotus tank. The Chithirai Thiruvizha, re-enacting the celestial wedding (Meenakshi Thirukalyanam), draws immense crowds.
