It is set in the famous pilgrimage town of Madurai in South India about 460 km. Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva) the consort of Goddess Meenakshi is to the north of Kilikoontu Mandapam. It has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. I was walking through the streets of London in 1991 thinking about the answers for the BBC listeners’ questions. Meenakshi (the “Fish-eyed Goddess”) has a temple to the south, and Shiva, known here as Sundareswarar (the “Handsome God”), a temple to the west. A Pandya King, after performing a great yagna to secure an … Such is the importance of parrot in her life: “Meenakshim ,Madhureswareem, Sukhatharam Sri Pandya Baalaam Bhaje” =Salutations to Goddess Meenakshi, goddess of Madurai, who has a parrot in her hand, who is the daughter of Pandya king. She is also worshipped as Ellama and this is connected to the myth of Parasurama placing the head of Renuka on a recluse woman. one saint has described her as “All the grandeur of the super consciousness, the masculine principle and the beauty of the feminine consciousness, the divine feminine principle expressing in one body is Meenakshi. It is said that Matangi manifests Herself as Goddess Meenakshi Amman at Madurai. Swami Sundareswarar Shrine. There are two large cages full of squawking green parrots. Meenakshi Navaratna Mala, a Sanskrit hymn praises her in the very first verse as the carrier of a parrot. Located in the heart of the city of Madurai, the Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, the consort of lord Shiva. Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam contains a version of the story of the Goddess Meenakshi. But more interesting are the 28 pillars of the mandapam which exhibit some excellent Sculptures of figures from Hindu mythology. The space was once used to keep green parrots that were trained to utter the name of Meenakshi. Meenakshi Temple - The Wonders of Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Matangi is the advisor to Goddess Tripura Sundari who summons her to attain command over speech and knowledge. A green parrot is seen perching on the right hand of the extremely pretty Goddess . Since she is the presiding deity the daily ceremonies are first performed in her shrine and, unlike the practice at other temples, Sundareswarar plays a secondary role. This is a once-upon-time kind of miracle of a story that actually happened, it is fact but reads like fiction. Meenakshi Temple is dedicated to the triple-breasted, fish-eyed goddess Meenakshi Amman (or goddess Parvati, as known in the north). The ultimate reality is One. 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