17/12/2025
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Megalai Senthilkumar
Meenakshi Amman, Malli, Sungudi—these instantly come to mind when one hears the word Madurai, the Thoonga Nagaram.
But yesterday, at a lecture organised by Thejas Foundation, the Editor of Kalaimagal, Shri Kizhambur Sankara Subramanian, took us beyond the familiar. He enlightened the audience with several fascinating and lesser-known facets of Madurai’s history and heritage.
Have you heard any of these before?
1. When asked about Madurai’s river, most of us say Vaigai. But ancient Madurai was identified more with the Krutumal River, which once flowed for 54 km and irrigated nearly 18,500 acres. Today, it has shrunk to a narrow canal, much like Chennai’s Cooum.
2. Madurai Veeran is the Kaval Deivam (guardian deity) of Madurai. His sannidhi is located near the East Gopuram of the Meenakshi Amman Temple.
3. Madurai is marked by two hillocks—Nagamalai and Yanaimalai—named for their resemblance to a hooded snake and a sleeping elephant respectively. Both once served as Jain meditation centres.
4. Beyond names like Aalavai and Koodal, Madurai finds mention in ancient texts such as the Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharata, Mahavamsa (Sri Lankan epic), and even Kautilya’s Arthashastra.
5. When Neyveli township was planned, Kamaraj, the then CM advised experts not to study foreign cities but to simply observe Madurai’s urban planning, saying it had much to teach.
6. Madurai Kanchi, a Sangam text by Mangudi Marudhanar, vividly describes the city. Day markets were called Naalangadi, while night markets—Allangadi—thrived on trade with Arab merchants dealing in pearls, horses, and precious stones.
7. During the Sengol Thiruvizha at the Meenakshi Temple, the Sengol remains with Amman for four months and with Swamy for eight. Kizhambur wondered why swamy gets more months? Were women not given importance? He opined that perhaps that women were known for magnanimity and may not be strict discliplinarians.
8. Unlike elsewhere, Nataraja in Madurai lifts His right leg. the reason is that,the Pandya king Rajasekara Pandiyan, a great dancer and Shiva devotee, expressed concern about the Lord balancing on left leg. Won't he get tired? He pleaded with the Lord. Shiva appeared in his dream that night and acceded to his wish changing the pose to lifting his right leg.
9. Madurai is central to the story of Thirugnanasambandar, who cured Koon Pandian’s fever by singing the sacred Thiruneetru Pathigam—“Mandhira Maavadhu Neeru.”, the power of Vibhooti.
10. Madurai has given India musical legends—Madurai Mani Iyer, Shanmukhavadivu- M.S. Subbulakshmi, and T.M. Soundararajan.
11. Freedom fighters Puli Iyer and Subbaiah Iyer hailed from Thirumangalam. Subbaiah Iyer’s coffee shop served free coffee to freedom fighters and popularised his 'Sangu' magazine through gift subscriptions.
12. Though Mahatma Gandhi visited Madurai many times, he hadn't visted the Madurai Meenakshi temple, as it pained him that there were restrictions for entry. This led to the historic Arya Pravesam, spearheaded by Vaidyanatha Iyer and supported decisively by Muthuramalinga Thevar. Gandhi finally entered the temple in 1945.
13. Madurai’s iconic Jigarthanda traces its roots to Afghanistan. Introduced during Madurai's Muslim rule by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, Jigarthanda means “cool the heart.”
14. Even before the famous Uthiramerur inscriptions, the Pandya-era Mananur inscriptions detailed democratic election processes.
15. Thirumalai Nayakkar, who ruled for 36 years, shifted the capital from Trichy to Madurai. While sourcing sand from Vandiyur to build his palace, a pit formed, later he filled with water—becoming today’s Vandiyur Teppakulam, with a shrine at its centre. The Teppam Festival is celebrated annually on Thai Poosam.
16. Rani Mangammal ruled Madurai from 1689 to 1706, leaving behind a legacy of capable governance by women.
17. Sundara Pandyan introduced systematic land measurement in 1216 AD, using a 24-foot measuring pole, years after Raja Raja Chola introduced this practice.
18. According to S. Anavatham Pillai’s 1908 book, the arangetram for Thirukural was held at the Potramarai Kulam.
19. Legend speaks of a massive tsunami subdued by Lord Shiva, forming a pond on Queen Kanchana Mala’s request. Ezhu Kadal Street, where Thirugnanasambandar is said to have walked, exists even today. Perhaps the landmass was different unlike current day thousands of years ago.
20. Many travellers visited Madurai—most notably Hiuen Tsang and Marco Polo, who praised the Pandyas for their egalitarian rule, noting that kings often sat on the floor alongside common people.
Kizhambur Sankara Subramanian Kizhambur Sankara Subramanian
ThiruvenkataRajan P T
