MADURAI, situated in southern Tamil Nadu, is a district with its headquarters in Madurai city, on the banks of river Vaigai. It is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu, is more than 2,500 years old and is an important cultural and commercial centre. It is famous for the Meenakshi Temple with its towering gopurams and rare sculptures. Madurai, once the seat of Tamil learning and still the place where the Tamil language is spoken in it s purest form, is planned in the shapre of a lotus. Modern Madurai is a burgeoning industrial centre, even though the vast stretches of lush paddy fields, dusty roads and crowded bazaars make it seem almost like an overgrown village. Neon signs above shops selling designerwear with international labels light up the spires of the nearby century-old temples. Modernity has reached the city, but not at the cost of its rich tradition and culture.

Synonymous with Madurai is the magnificent temple dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi. This is one of the famous Shakthi Shrines in India, drawing thousands of devotees every day. The original temple was probably a modest structure built on Agamic guidelines. However, it has grown with the graceful additions of pursuant dynasties and victorious monarchs into an enormous complex extending over an area of 65,000 sq. metres. The tower to the south is the tallest, soaring to a height of 160 feet and was built in the 16th Century. A striking feature of the temple is the astonishing structure known as Ayiramkal Mandapam (Hall of Thousand Pillars) in the outermost corridor.
Open for Dharshan: 5.00 a.m. to 12.30 noon and
4.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Mariamman Tank is a beautiful square tank of huge size. This tank is the scene of a colourful Float Festival held in January/February to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Tirumalai Nayak, who built this tank. On the northern side of the tank is a temple dedicated to Mariamman, a famous village Deity of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest stone built Tank in Madurai which was built in 1636.

 It is a rock cut temple dedicated to Lord Muruga and is situated at a distance of 8 k.m. south of Madurai. It is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga. Lord Subramanya is said to have married Indiran's daughter Deivanai on this hill.

An ancient Vaishnavite Temple at a distance of 24 kms. from Madurai is deidcated to Lord Alagar. It is believed that Vishnu came down to this place from Vaikunta, his abode in heaven, to give away Goddess Meenakshi in marriage to Lord Sundareswarar. One of the Six Abodes of Lord Muruga is on the same hill.

It is a well known hill station located 90 kms from Dindigul. Situated at the southern tip of the upper Palani hills in the Western Ghats, this beautiful hill station is one of the most famous tourist spots in the South. At a height of 2133 metres above the sea level, Kodai, as it is popularly known, is set amidst the wooded slopes and jungles or sholays of the ghats, making for a very pleasant climate the year round. This hill station is famours for hill plantains and plums. Several varieties of flowers abound here, including the Kurinji, which blossoms once in twelve years.

Situated on the extreme south eastern limit of the Indian peninsula, this is the Mecca for Hindus. For a truly devout Hindu, the quest for salvation begins in Varanasi and culminates in Rameswaram. According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, this is the place that Lord Rama sanctified by worshipping Siva after the war against Ravana, thus making it sacred to both Saivites and Vaishnavites. Ramanathaswamy temple situated close to the sea on the eastern side of the Island is known for its magnificent structure, long corridors and aesthetically carved pillars lining it. The corridor is the longest in Asia. It is 197 metres long east-west, and 133 metres in length on south-north. The temple was built by the rulers of different dynasties in different periods from 12th century onwards. The importance of modern day Rameswaram arises from the fact that apart from being a major tourist attraction, it is also one of the leading marine food centres of the South. There is an Indo-Norwegian Fisheries Project at Mandapam to help develop the fishing industry on modern lines.