![]() After conquering Sathyaloka(Brahma's Abode), Vaikunta(Sanskrit वैकुण्ठ, vaikuntha meaning Vishnu's Abode) and Amaravati(the abode of the Devas), she advanced to Kailasha(Shiva's Abode).She very easily defeated the bhoota ganas(IAST: Bhūtagana, meaning Shiva's army) and Nandi(the celestial bull of Shiva) and headed to attack and conquer Shiva. As the time came when Tadaatagai was to be coronated, she had to wage war on the three worlds across eight directions. A voice from the heavens told the king not to worry and added that the third breast would vanish soon the girl meets her future husband.The happy king named the girl as Tadaatagai and being the heir to the throne, Tadaatagai was trained carefully in all the 64 sastras(fields of science). This girl, who came out of the holy fire had three breasts. Meenakshi(the lady goddess) is the principal deity of the temple, but not Sundareswarar - this is unlike most Shiva temples inSouth India where Shiva is the principal deity.According to Hindu legend, in order to answer the prayers of the second Pandya king Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai, Goddess Parvati appeared out of the Holy Fire of the Putra Kameshti Yagna(sacrifice for childhood) performed by the king. According to another legend, the goddess herself gave a boon to Kanchanamalai in one of her previous births that she would have the privilege of mothering the goddess. The name Mīnachchi (meaning fish eyed) is derived from the words mīna (meaning fish) and akṣi (meaning eyes). ![]() She is also one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her. ![]() Meenkashi (IAST mīnākṣi, Tamil மீனாட்சி) is an Avatar of the Hindu Goddess, Parvati - the consort of Shiva. The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival celebrated during April–May attracts 1 million visitors. There is an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple and it was in the list of top 30 nominees of the " New Seven Wonders of the World ". The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 during Fridays and gets an annual revenue of sixty million INR. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is built during 1623 to 1655 CE. The complex houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the souther tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two golden sculptured vimana (shrine) over sanctum of the main deities. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Meenakshi and her consort,Shiva named here as Sundareswarar(beautiful deity). ![]() Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple or Tiru-alavai (IAST minakshi Amman Kovil, Tamil: மீனாட்சி அம்மன் கோவில்/திருஆலவாய்) is a historic Hindu temple located in the south side of river Vaigai in the temple city of Madurai , Tamil Nadu , India. ![]()
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