Madurai, previously (until 1949) in Madura, a
town, in the south-central province of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. It is
located on the river Vaigai, about 30 miles [48 km] southeast of Dindigul.
Madurai is the third most populous city, and probably the oldest city in the
province.
The ancient history of the region is
associated with the kings of Pandya, and Madurai was the site of the capital of
Pandya (4th to 11th century CE). It was later conquered by Chola, Vijayanagar,
Muslim, Maratha, and British rulers. In the 1940's, it became known as the
center of the British anti-government movement, and it remained an important
seat of political leadership.
The oldest part of the city - enclosed by the
Anai, Naga, and Pasu hills (Elephant, Snake, and Cow) - is located at the
Meenakshi Amman Temple (Minakshi-Sundareshwara). The temple, the palace of
Tirumala Nayak, the Teppakulam tank (a dam of pottery), and the 1,000 looted
hall were rebuilt during the Vijayanagar period (16th-17th centuries) after the
city's complete destruction in 1310. The city walls were removed by the British
in 1837 to empower Madurai to expand, and settlement settlements north of the river.
Situated in the southeastern part of the
Eastern Ghats, the area around Madurai occupies the southern part of India and
consists of several mountain ranges, including the hills of Palni and Sirumalai
(north), Cardamom Hills (west), and the hills of Varushanad and Andipatti
(south). Among those hills to the west lies the high Kambam Valley. To the east,
the plains descend 90 feet above sea level but consist of isolated hills. The
great river, the Vaigai, flows northeast through the Kambam Valley and then
east through the center of the province.
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