THE GODDESS'S REALM MEENAKSHI-SUNDARESWARAR TEMPLE IN MADURAI
THE GODDESS'S REALM MEENAKSHI-SUNDARESWARAR TEMPLE IN MADURAI
With the kumbhabishekam of Madurai’s pre-eminent temple scheduled for September 17, 2026, The Hindu Group is publishing The Realm of the Goddess: The Madurai Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple, a book that is practically an encyclopaedia on the temple-complex.
Illustrated with over 300 stunning photographs, the book features a wide variety of stories ranging from the origin and development of the temple complex, its breath-taking art and architecture, and the series of exquisite mandapams to the various festivals, the saints associated with the temple, and the contribution of the many rulers — Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara, and the Nayaka rulers — in making the temple the iconic structure it is today.
Many of the articles have unusual themes: why the Golden Lotus Tank has no fish, the story behind Nataraja dancing on his right leg, sculptures that feature crime and punishment, how Gandhiji made an appearance in a mural showcasing the divine wedding, a British collector’s devotion to the goddess, the drummer who announces the start of worship twice a day, the grandfather who wields a fan of peacock feathers during the Chithirai festival, and so on.
The book also discusses why the temple attracts thousands of devotees from all over India and the booming trade and commerce around it. Reports from The Hindu’s archives also showcase the destruction of precious artworks and the destruction of the Vira Vasantharayar Mandapam due to a fire.
With scholars, historians, epigraphists, and others contributing this mite, The Realm of the Goddess is a veritable compendium on the temple that is inseparable from the city of Madurai.
Despatch will commence from September 11, 2026
Non-returnable
Rs.2,250.00
Rs.2,999.00
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About the book
| Language | English |
| Category | Coffee Table Book |
| Launch Year | 2026 |
| Number of Pages | 252 |
| Author | THE HINDU |
| Binding | Coffee Table Book |