Madurai 
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Madurai or the city of nectar is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was being named, Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion some Divine nectar (madhu) fell from the matted locks of Shiva and hence the city was named Madhurapuri. This sacred town of south attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as well as abroad. 

The life of Madurai revolves around the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. This magnificently carved temple is the main attraction of Madurai and its huge Gopurams towers over the city. Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'. Precisely there are 985 pillars and each of them is delicately and exquisitely carved. Among these are the musical pillars which emit music when tapped. Surprisingly, these musical pillars are carved out of a single granite rock. The temple has been a hub of Tamil culture and has been sponsoring literature, art, music, and dance in the region for a long time.

The temple also has an art museum. The city apart from temple is crammed with shops, street markets and temples, pilgrims choultries, hotels and restaurants. Though Madurai is considered as pilgrimage but it has also developed as a business centre and is famed for its traditional handicrafts in bronze and brass.

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal 
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This palace is an excellent example of Indo-Sarcenic architecture. It was built in 1523 A.D and originally was four times larger than what it is today. The gardens, the defensive wall all have gone what remains is the main entrance gate, the dancing hall and the main hall. The palace was renovated in 1866-72 by Lord Napier and later further restoration works were carried on. Today the main attraction of the palace is light and sound show which is based on the life of Tirumalai Nayak and Silapathikaram.

The Gandhi Museum 
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The museum was initially the palace of Rani Mangammal. It gives a clear account of the history of Independence movement of India. This museum also tells some little known facts about Gandhi ji but the real piece of Gandhi Memorabilia is the blood stained Dhoti which he was wearing at the time of his assasination. The local government museum is also here. The small book shop offers plenty of reading material from Gandhiji's works.

Kumbakkarai Water Falls 
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This place serves as the base camp for the trekkers who venture in the hills of Kodai. Kumbakkarai Water Falls are 105 kms from Madurai and form an excellent picnic spot. Water fall surrounded by forests combined with the pristine beauty of the hills creates a very soothing atmosphere. 





