Madurai, located in Tamil Nadu is commonly known as the City of Temples. It is a regular attraction for many tourists. The place is filled with many temples which are architectural wonders. The best way to reach Madurai is by train or air.

Tourist attractions in Madurai
Meenakshi Amman Temple, the holy temple located here is the main tourist attraction. It is a vast temple of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. A prominent feature of this temple is the amazing structure called “Ayiramkaal Mandapam”. There are several pillars in it and each pillar has elaborate, valiant sculptures. If viewed from any angle, the pillars seem to be in a straight line, which is why this structure is a masterpiece.

Mariamman Teppakulam is a beautiful square tank spread over a huge area of almost 16 acres. A temple is dedicated to Mariamman on the Northern side of the tank, a famous village deity of Tamil Nadu.

Gandhi museum is famous as a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse is kept here. It also contains a picture gallery depicting the Gandhi Movement.

Places to see in Madurai
Samanar Hills is located near Nagamalai pudhukottai, 10km away from Meenakshi temple. There are caves here in a small hamlet. The legend is that the caves were used as hideout by Jains during the reign of Koon Pandian. The main attractions are Karupasamy temple, Jain Carvings, sculptures and scriptures.

Kazimar Big Mosques is the oldest Muslim place of worship in Madurai. Constructed under the supervision of Kazi Syed Tajuddin, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, this is an architectural wonder.

There are other sight seeing places in Madurai as well. Vaigai dam built on river Vaigai is another place to see near Andipatti and is considered a good picnic spot. A big beautiful garden is maintained by the Dam management. This garden has many kinds of exotic flowers and plants on one side of the dam and you can see the rugged natural beauty of the hills as well.

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal was constructed way back in the 17th century by kings of Muslim dynasty. It is an impressive structure with the sculptures carved in the Madurai style. There is a museum here too and entrance fee is Rs.10 or 15. Tamil Nadu Tourism organizes a Sound and Light Show at 7pm in the evening.

Hotels in Madurai
There are a variety of hotels in Madurai that you can choose from. One of the shining stars in this sector is the famed Sangam Hotel. Sangam Hotel is near to Meenakshi Amman temple and many other popular tourist spots in Madurai. Sangam hotel provides the best services at affordable rates. Along with enjoying a luxurious stay, you can get the best deals and offers. You can get more info at http://sangamhotels.com/madurai/

Travel tip: While searching for a hotel, make sure you have visited their website to check its facilities. Don’t just randomly book a room from a listing site.
Visit www.sangamhotels.com to find exclusive rooms of your choice in Trichy, Thanjavur, Madurai and Chettinad ; South India.

While sightseeing, make sure you just carry a copy of the passport and to leave your original passport in the hotel safe. Also leave a copy with your family at home.
Sangam hotels provides all the necessary facilities for your sightseeing in Tamil Nadu.
Authored by: Sangam Hotels

In this Trichy Temple, the goddess Sarawathi stands gracing the devotees in a standing form without her Veena.

This temple was built by Kocengannan (Kochenga Chola), one of the Early Cholas, around 1,800 years ago.The sanctum of Jambukeswara has an underground water stream and in spite of pumping water out, it is always filled with water.There are five enclosures inside the temple.
At every noon, the priest dress up as a woman to offer prayers to a cow. This is as per the temple’s ideology.
As per the temple history, a sage Jambu performed penance in this place and Lord Siva granted him salvation through Naaval(similar to Blackberry) fruit. Naaval is called Jambu in Sanskrit. Authored by: Sangam Hotels