The Meenakshi temple is located in the heart of historic Madurai city, is about 460 kilometres (290 miles) southwest from Chennai, the state capital.

The goddess Meenakshi is the principal deity of the temple, unlike most Shiva temples in South India where Shiva is the principal deity.

Though the temple has historic roots, most of the present campus structure was rebuilt after the 14th century CE It has withstood the invasion of the Muslim invaders and extreme destruction and looting of its very rich valuables by repeated invasion of the Muslims.The restored complex now houses 14 gopurams (Gateway Towers), ranging from 45?50m in height, with the southern gopuram tallest at 51.9 metres (170 ft). The complex has numerous sculpted pillared halls such as Ayirakkal (1,000 pillar hall) Each Gopuram/Gateway is adorned with thousands of small sculptures.

What you see here is only one of the Gateway 50m (150ft) tall.

According to Holly Reynolds, a closer examination of the temple plan, as well as the old city, suggests that it is mandala, a cosmic diagram laid out based on principles of symmetry and loci.

The temple complex is the center of the old city of Madurai. It consists of monuments inside a number of concentric enclosures, each layer fortified with high masonry walls.

The temple is a major pilgrimage destination.

Camera: Canon SX130IS, standard setting, image slightly cropped,slightly adjusted for brightness and resized to FAR size.
Used zoom to capture the Gateway.

Enjoy!