Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile,rubber, chemical andgranite manufacturing industries.[13] Madurai has important government educational institutes such as theMadurai Medical College, Homeopathic Medical College,[14]Madurai Law College, Agricultural College and Research Institute andAll India Institute of Medical Sciences, Madurai. The city covers an area of 147.97 km2 (57.13 sq mi) and had a population of 1,470,755 in 2011.[15] The city is also the seat of a bench of theMadras High Court.[b]
It is one of the few towns and cities inList of AMRUT Smart cities in Tamil Nadu selected for AMRUT Schemes[16] from central government and the developmental activities are taken care by government of Tamil Nadu.[17]
According toIravatham Mahadevan, a 2nd-century BCETamil-Brahmi inscription refers to the city asmatiray, an Old Tamil word meaning a "walled city".[18]
Madurai is one of the many temple towns known as Kadambavanam for its historic temples in India which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The region is believed to have been covered with Kadamba forest and hence called Kadambavanam.[19] The city is referred by various names including "Madurai", "Koodal", "Malligai Maanagar", "Naanmadakoodal" and "Thirualavai". It is believed thatMadurai is the derivative of the wordMarutham,[20] which refers to the type of landscape of theSangam age. A town in the neighbouringDindigul district is called Vada Madurai (North Madurai) and another inSivaganga district is calledManamadurai. The different names by which the city has been referred to historically are listed in the 7th-century poemThiruvilayaadal Puraanam written by Paranjothi Munivar.[21][22]Vaishnava texts refer to Madurai as the "southern Mathura", probably similar toTenkasi (southern Kashi).[23][24]
Koodal means an assembly or congregation of scholarly people, referring to the three Tamil Sangams held at Madurai. Naanmadakoodal, meaning the junction of four towers, refers to the four major temples for which Madurai was known for.[21] The sangam literature mentions theKoodal Azhagar temple at the centre of the city. Historians are of the opinion thatKoodal Azhagar temple finds mention inSangam literature (3rd century BCE–3rd century CE) in works likeMadurai Kanchi by Mangudi Marudan,Paripāṭal,Kaliththokai andSilappatikaram.Madurai Kanchi details the Thiruvonam festival celebrated in the temple.Koodal Azhagar temple is revered inNalayira Divya Prabhandam, the 5th–9th century Vaishnava canon, byPeriyalvar,Thirumalisai Alvar andThirumangai Alvar. The temple is classified as aDivya Desams, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book.[25] During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar andKoodal Sthala Purana.Tevaram, the 7th- or 8th-century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominentNayanars (Saivites), namelyAppar,[26]Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar,[27][28] address the city asThirualavai.[21][29]
Hand coloured antique wood engraving drawn by W. Purser (1858) shows Madurai city and Meenakshi Temple as seen from the north bank of theVaigai river
TheBuddhist textMahavamsa mentions Madurai in the context ofPrince Vijaya's (543–505 BCE) arrival inSri Lanka with his 700 followers. According to the Mahavamsa, emissaries laden with precious gifts, jewels and pearls, were sent from Sri Lanka to Madurai of ancientTamilakam. Their mission was to secure a bride for Prince Vijaya. The Pandyan King of Madurai agreed to the proposal. He not only sent his own daughter to marry Prince Vijaya but also requested other families to offer their daughters to marry the prince's ministers and retainers. So, along with the Princess and hundreds of maidens, craftsmen and a thousand families from the eighteenguilds were also sent to Sri Lanka.[7]
After the Sangam age, most of present-day Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, came under the rule of theKalabhra dynasty,[36] which was ousted by thePandyas around 590 CE.[37][38] The Pandyas were ousted from Madurai by theChola dynasty during the early 9th century. The city was fought over between the Cholas and the Pandyas during the 12th century, changing hands several times,[39] until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital.[40] After the death ofKulasekara Pandian (1268–1308 CE), Madurai came under the rule of theDelhi Sultanate.[40] TheMadurai Sultanate then seceded from Delhi and functioned as an independent kingdom until its gradual annexation by theVijayanagara Empire in 1378 CE. Madurai became independent from Vijayanagar in 1559 CE under theNayaks.[41] Nayak rule ended in 1736 CE and Madurai was repeatedly captured several times byChanda Sahib (1740 – 1754 CE),Arcot Nawab andMuhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764 CE) in the middle of the 18th century.[21]
In 1801, Madurai came under the direct control of theBritish East India Company and was annexed to theMadras Presidency.[42][43] The British government made donations to theMeenakshi temple and participated in the Hindu festivals during the early part of their rule. The city evolved as a political and industrial complex through the 19th and 20th centuries to become a district headquarters of a larger Madurai district.[44] In 1837, the fortifications around the temple were demolished by the British.[45] The moat was drained and the debris was used to construct new streets – Veli, Marat and Perumaal Mesthiri streets.[46] The city was constituted as a municipality in 1866 under the Town Improvement Act of 1865.[47] The British government faced initial hiccups during the earlier period of the establishment of municipality in land ceiling and tax collection in Madurai and Dindigul districts under the direct administration of the officers of the government. The city, along with the district, was resurveyed between 1880 and 1885 CE and subsequently, five municipalities were constituted in the two districts and six taluk boards were set up for local administration. Police stations were established in Madurai city, housing the headquarters of the District Superintendent.[48]
It was in Madurai, in 1921, thatMahatma Gandhi, pre-eminent leader ofIndian nationalism in British-ruled India, first adopted the loin cloth as his mode of dress after seeing agricultural labourers wearing it.[49] Leaders of the independence movement in Madurai includedN. M. R. Subbaraman,[50][51]Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar and Mohammad Ismail Sahib.[52] The Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act passed by the government ofMadras Presidency underC. Rajagopalachari in 1939 removed restrictions prohibitingShanars andDalits from entering Hindu temples. The temple entry movement was first led in Madurai Meenakshi temple by independence activistA. Vaidyanatha Iyer in 1939.[53][54]
In 1971, the municipality of Madurai was upgraded to aMunicipal Corporation.[55] In 2011 the Corporation of Madurai expanded the area of its jurisdiction from seventy-two wards to one hundred wards, an increase in area from 51.82 square kilometres (12,810 acres) to 147.997 square kilometres (36,571 acres).[55]
Map of Madurai showing core centre of the city and some important landmarks
Madurai is built around theKoodal Azhagar temple andMeenakshi Temple, which acted as the geographic and ritual centre of the ancient city of Madurai. The city is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular streets around the temple.[56]Viswanatha Nayak (1529–64 CE), the first Madurai Nayak king, redesigned the city in accordance with the principles laid out byShilpa Shastras (Sanskrit:śilpa śāstra, also anglicised assilpa sastra meaning rules of architecture) related to urban planning. These squares retain their traditional names of Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to the Tamil month names and also to the festivals associated.[56]
The templeprakarams (outer precincts of a temple) and streets accommodate an elaborate festival calendar in which dramatic processions circumambulate the shrines at varying distances from the centre. The temple chariots used in processions are progressively larger in size based on the size of the concentric streets.[57] Ancient Tamil classics record the temple as the centre of the city and the surrounding streets appearing liken a lotus and its petals.[22] The city's axes were aligned with the four-quarters of the compass, and the four gateways of the temple provided access to it. The wealthy and higher echelons of the society were placed in streets close to the temple, while the poorest were placed in the fringe streets. With the advent of British rule during the 19th century, Madurai became the headquarters of a large colonial political complex and an industrial town; with urbanisation, the social hierarchical classes became unified.[56]
The Corporation of Madurai has an area of 147.97 square kilometres or 57.13 square miles.[58]
Madurai is located at9°56′N78°07′E / 9.93°N 78.12°E /9.93; 78.12.[59] It has an average elevation of 134 metres. The city of Madurai lies on the flat and fertile plain of the riverVaigai, which runs in the northwest–southeast direction through the city, dividing it into two almost two equal halves.[60] The Sirumalai and Nagamalai hills lie to the north and west of Madurai. The land in and around Madurai is utilised largely for agricultural activity, which is fostered by thePeriyar Dam.[61] Madurai lies southeast of the western ghats, and the surrounding region occupies the plains of South India and contains several mountain spurs.[62] The soil type in central Madurai is predominantly clay loam, while red loam and black cotton types are widely prevalent in the outer fringes of the city. Paddy is the major crop, followed by pulses, millet, oil seed, cotton and sugarcane.[63]
Madurai is hot and dry for eight months of the year. Cold winds are experienced during February and March as in the neighbouringDindigul. The hottest months are from March to July. The city experiences a moderate climate from August to October, tempered by heavy rain and thundershowers, and a slightly cooler climate from November to February. Fog and dew are rare, occurring only during the winter season. Being equidistant from mountains and the sea, it experiences similar monsoon pattern withNortheast monsoon andSouthwest monsoon, with the former providing more rain during October to December.[64] The average annual rainfall for the Madurai district is about 85.76 cm.[65]
Temperatures during summer generally reach a maximum of 42 °C or 107.6 °F and a minimum of 26.3 °C or 79.3 °F, although temperatures up to 43 °C or 109.4 °F are not uncommon.[66] Winter temperatures range between 29.6 °C or 85.3 °F and 18 °C or 64.4 °F. A study based on the data available with the Indian Meteorological Department on Madurai over a period of 62 years indicate rising trend in atmospheric temperature over Madurai city, attributed to urbanisation, growth of vehicles and industrial activity.[66] The maximum temperature of 42 °C or 107.6 °F for the decade of 2001 to 2010 was recorded in 2004 and in 2010.[66]
According to2011 census based on pre-expansion limits, the area covered under the Corporation of Madurai had a population of 1,017,865[1] with a sex-ratio of 999 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[76] A total of 100,324 were under the age of six, constituting 51,485 males and 48,839 females.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.27% and 0.31% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 81.95%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[15] The urban agglomeration of Madurai had a population of 1,465,625,[77] and is the third largest in Tamil Nadu and the 31st in India.[78][79]
According to the religious census of 2011, Madurai had 85.83%Hindus, 8.54%Muslims, 5.18%Christians and 0.47% others.[80] Tamil is the main language, and the standard dialect is the Madurai Tamil dialect, and is spoken by 89.0% of the population.[81]Sourashtra, is the largest minority language which is spoken by 5.4% of the population. Other significant minority languages include Telugu (2.7%) and Urdu (1.5%).[82] Roman Catholics in Madurai are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madurai,[83] while Protestants are affiliated with the Madurai-Ramnad Diocese of theChurch of South India.[84]
In 2001, Slum-dwellers comprise 32.6 per cent of the total population, much higher than the national average of 15.05 per cent.[85][86] The increase in growth rate to 50 per cent from 1971 to 1981 is due to the city's upgrade to a municipal corporation in 1974 and the subsequent inclusion of 13Panchayats into the corporation limits. The decline in the population growth rate between 1981 and 2001 is due to the bifurcation ofMadurai district into two, Madurai andDindigul in 1984, and the subsequently of part of the city into theTheni district in 1997. The compounded annual growth rate dropped from 4.10 per cent during 1971–81 to 1.27 per cent during 1991–2004.[87]
Themunicipality of Madurai was constituted on 1 November 1866 as per the Town Improvement Act of 1865.[47] The municipality was headed by a chairperson and elections were regularly conducted for the post except during the period 1891 to 1896, when no elections were held due to violent factionalism. During the early years of independent India, the Madurai municipality was dominated by reformists of theIndian National Congress.[95] Madurai was upgraded to amunicipal corporation on 1 May 1971 as per the Madurai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1971.[96] It is the second oldest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai.[97] The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning, and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head.[98] The legislative powers are vested in a body of 100 members, one each from the 100 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor.[99] The corporation received several awards in 2008 for implementing development works.[100]
Law and order is enforced by theTamil Nadu Police, which, for administrative purposes, has constituted Madurai city as a separate district. The district is divided into four sub-divisions, namely Thallakulam, Anna Nagar, Thilagar Thidal and Town,[117] with a total of 27 police stations.[118] The Madurai city police force is headed by aCommissioner of police, assisted by Deputy Commissioners. Enforcement of law and order in the suburban areas are handled by the Madurai district police.[119] In 2008, the crime rate in the city was 283.2 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.1 per cent of all crimes reported in major cities in India, and it was ranked 19th among 35 major cities in India. As of 2008, Madurai recorded the second highest SLL (Special and Local Laws) crimes, at 22,728, among cities in Tamil Nadu. However, Madurai had the second lowest crime rate at 169.1 of all the cities in Tamil Nadu.[120] The city is also the seat of a bench of theMadras High Court, one of only a few outside the state capitals of India. It started functioning in July 2004.[121]
InSwachh Survekshan 2025 report, Madurai was ranked as the dirtiest city in India among those with a population of over one million. Despite its cultural heritage and tourism appeal, the city has struggled with sanitation and waste management.[122][123][124]
The National HighwaysNH 7,NH 45B,NH 208 andNH 49 pass through Madurai.[125][needs update] The state highways passing through the city are SH-32, SH-33 and SH-72, which connect various parts of Madurai district. Madurai is one of the seven circles of the Tamil Nadu State Highway network.[126] Madurai is the headquarters of theTamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai) and provides local and inter city bus transport across four districts namely Madurai,Dindigul,Theni, andVirudhunagar.[127] Madurai has four major bus stands, namely,M.G. Ramachandran Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Terminus (MGRMBS),Arappalayam bus Terminus, Palanganatham and Periyar Bus stand.[128] There are 12,754 registered three-wheeled vehicles i.e., auto rickshaws which are commercially available for renting within the city.[129] Over the government operated city buses that are used for public transport, there are 236 registered private mini-buses that support local transportation.[130]
Madurai Junction railway station, the main railway station of Madurai
TheAmerican College, started in 1881, is the oldest college in the city.
Madurai has been an academic centre of learning for Tamil culture, literature, art, music and dance for centuries.[143] All three assemblies of the Tamil language, theTamil Sangam (about the 3rd centuryBCE to the 3rd century CE), were said to have been held at Madurai.[144] Tamil poets of different epochs participated in these assemblies, and their compositions are referred to asSangam literature.[35] During the third Tamilsangam, the comparative merit of the poets was decided by letting the works float in the lotus tank of the temple. It was believed that a divine force would cause the work of superior merit to float on the surface, while the inferior ones would sink.[143][145]
TheAmerican College is the oldest college in Madurai, and was established in 1881 by American Christian missionaries.[146] TheLady Doak College, established in 1948, is the oldest women's college in Madurai.[147]Thiagarajar College (established in 1949),Madura College (established in 1889),[148]Fatima College is a women's general degree college[149] (established in 1953),[150]Sourashtra College (established in 1967) andM.S.S. Wakf Board College (established in 1964), Tamil Nadu Polytechnic College ( established in 1946),[151] are the oldest educational institutions of the city.Madurai Kamaraj University (originally called Madurai University), established in 1966, is a state-run university which has 109 affiliated arts and science colleges in Madurai and neighbouring districts. There are 47 approved institutions of the university in and around the city, consisting of autonomous colleges, aided colleges, self-financing colleges, constituent colleges, evening colleges and other approved institutions.[152]
There are seven polytechnical schools and fiveIndustrial training institutes (ITIs) in Madurai, with the Government ITI and the Government Polytechnic for Women being the most prominent of them all. There are two government medical institutes in Madurai,Madurai Medical College and Homoeopathic Medical College, Thirumangalam and 11 paramedical institutes. There are fifteen engineering colleges in Madurai affiliated toAnna University, with theThiagarajar College of Engineering being the oldest.[14] TheMadurai Law College, established in 1979, is one of the seven government law colleges in the state. It is administered by the Tamil Nadu Government Department of Legal Studies, and affiliated with theTamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University.[153] There are three teacher training institutes, two music colleges, three management institutes and 30 arts and sciences colleges in Madurai.[14] The agricultural college and research institute in Madurai, started in 1965 by the state government, provides agricultural education to aspirants in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.[154]All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, a premier medical institution, is also under construction in Madurai and will cover 224 acres (910,000 m2) of land, at an estimated cost of₹1,264crore (US$150 million), and additionally allotted₹736 crore (US$87 million) total around₹2,000 crore (US$240 million) in the sub-urban Thoppur Madurai district.[155]
TheEconomy of Madurai is primarily based on Textiles, Rubber and Automotive Components and Tourism. Madurai was traditionally an agrarian society, with rice paddies as the main crop. Cotton crop cultivation in the regions with black soil in Madurai district was introduced during theNayaka rule during the 16th century to increase the revenue from agriculture.[159] The paddy fields cultivated in the Vaigai delta across Madurai North, Melur, Nilakottai and Uthamapalayam are known as "double-crop paddy belts". Farmers in the district supplement their income with subsidiary occupations like dairy farming, poultry-farming, pottery, brick making, mat-weaving and carpentry.[160] Madurai is famed for itsjasmine plantations, calledMadurai Malli, primarily carried out at the foothills ofKodaikanal hills and traded at the Madurai morning flower market. An average of 2,000 farmers sell flowers daily at the flower market.[143]
With the advent ofSmall Scale Industries (SSI) after 1991, the industrialisation of Madurai increased employment in the sector across the district from 63,271 in 1992–93 to 166,121 persons in 2001–02.[161] Madurai is one of the few rubber growing areas in South India,[162] and there are rubber-based industries in Madurai. Gloves, sporting goods, mats, other utility products and automobile rubber components are the most produced items by these industries. Automobile manufacturers are the major consumers of rubber components produced in the city.[13] There are numerous textile, granite and chemical industries operating in Madurai.[163]Kashmir gold granite andKashmir white granite are the trade names of two types of granite produced in Madurai.
Madurai is promoted as a tier II city forIT andIndustry.Kappalur which is sub-urban of Madurai is business hub for automotive industries such as KUN BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Toyota, Mahindra, Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ashok Leyland, Jeep, Fiat India (FCA). The government has created Uchapatti-Thoppur satellite Township in Kappalur.Small Industries Development Corporation Kappalur has many polymer and houseware manufacturing units. Some software companies have opened their offices in Madurai.[164]Software Technology Parks of India, an agency of the Government of India, has authorised several such companies to receive benefits under its national information technology development program. The state government proposed two IT-basedSpecial Economic Zones (SEZ) in Madurai, and these have been fully occupied by various IT companies,HCLTech andHoneywell have their own campuses in ELCOT IT Park in Madurai.[165][166][167]
Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historicHindu temple located on the south side of theVaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city.[144] It is dedicated toParvati known asMeenakshi and her consort,Shiva as Sundareswarar.[143] The complex houses 14gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 45–50 metres (148–164 ft) in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high. There are also two golden sculpturedvimana (shrines) over the sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol forTamils and has been mentioned since antiquity inTamil literature, though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE.[56][168] The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day and around 25,000 during Fridays. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple.[169]
Koodal Azhagar Temple is a historicHindu temple located on the south side of theVaigai River in Madurai, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. The temple is dedicated toMaha Vishnu. It has idols of theNavagraha (nine planet deities), which are otherwise found only in Shiva temples.[170][171] the temple is glorified in theNaalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medievalTamil canon of theAlvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Viyooga Sundarrajan, and his consortLakshmi as Mathuravalli.[172] A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple has a five-tiered rajagopuram, the gateway tower. The temple is originally believed to be built by thePandyas, with later additions by theVijayanagara empire andMadurai Nayaks kings who commissioned pillared halls and major shrines of the temple during the 16th century.
TheKallalagar temple,Alagar Koyil, is a celebrated Vishnu temple 21 kilometres (13 mi) northeast of Madurai situated at the foothills of Solaimalai.[173] The deity, Kallazhagar, is believed to be the brother of Meenakshi and worshiped by Meenakshi, the presiding deity at the Meenakshi temple.[35] The festival calendars of these two temples overlap during the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam festival. The temple is glorified in theNaalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 5th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108Divya Desams dedicated toMaha Vishnu, who is worshiped asKallalagar, and his consortLakshmi as Thirumagal. This temple is called as Thirumaliruncholai inSangam literatures andNaalayira Divya Prabandham sung by TamilAlvar saints.[174]
[175]Pazhamudircholai, one of the other six abodes of the Hindu god Murugan, is located atop the Solaimalai hill.[173]Thiruparankundram is a hill 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away from Madurai, where the Hindu god Murugan is believed to have married Deivanai. The temple is the first among the six holy abodes of Murugan, theArupadai Veedu, literally "Six Battle Camps", and one of the most visited tourist spots in Madurai.[176] The temple has a wide range of Hindu gods carved on the walls.[173]
Kazimar Big Mosque is the first Muslim place of worship in the city. It was constructed under the supervision ofKazi Syed Tajuddin, believed to be a descendant of the prophetMuhammed. He came fromOman and received the piece of land from the Pandya ruler, Kulasekara Pandiyan during the 13th century.[143][177][178] It is claimed to be the oldest Islamic monument in Madurai. The dargah ofMadurai Hazrats called asMadurai Maqbara is located inside the mosque.[177]Tirupparankunram Dargah is the grave of an Islamic saint who came fromJeddah; his festival is celebrated duringRajab every Hijri year.[179]
Gandhi Memorial Museum, one of the five Gandhi Sangrahalayas in India
Pillared halls of Thirumalai Nayakar Palace, built during 1636 CE and a national monument
Madurai is popularly calledThoonga Nagaram meaning the city that never sleeps, on account of the active night life.[182] The city attracts a large number of tourists from within the country and abroad. About 9,100,000 tourists visited Madurai in 2010, out of which foreigners numbered 524,000.[183] The palace complex ofThirumalai Nayak Palace was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style byThirumalai Nayakar in 1636 CE. It is a national monument maintained by the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department. The daily sound and light show organized by the department explains the virtues of King Thirumalai and the features of the palace.[173] The palace of Rani Mangamma has been renovated to house one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas (Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai) in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated byNathuram Godse.[184] A visit byMartin Luther King Jr. to the museum inspired him to lead peaceful protests against discrimination.[185]
The Eco park, situated in Tallakulam, features fountains and lighting in trees using optical fibres.[186] Rajaji children park, maintained by the Corporation of Madurai, is situated between the Gandhi museum and the Tamukkam grounds – it has a visitor average of 5,000 per day during holidays and 2,000–3,000 on working days.[187] MGR Race Course Stadium is an athletic stadium which has a synthetic track and a swimming pool.[188] Several National Meets are held here.[189] It also hosts several international and national levelKabbadi Championships.[190] Railway grounds at Arasaradi, Medical college grounds & Madura College Grounds are the full-fledged cricket stadiums in the city.
The people of Madurai celebrate numerous festivals, which include Meenakshi Tirukkalyanam, the Chittirai Festival and theCar Festival. The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, also called Chittirai festival, celebrated during April–May every year attracts 1 million visitors. Legend has it that Hindu god Vishnu, as Alagar, rode on a golden horse to Madurai to attend the celestial wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) with Sundareswarar (Shiva).[175] During the Cradle festival, the festive idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are taken in procession to a mirror chamber and set on a rocking swing for nine days.[175] Avanimoolam festival is celebrated during the month of September when the 64 sacred games of Hindu god Shiva,thiruvilayadal are recited.[175] TheThepporchavam festival or float festival is celebrated in the month of January – February, on the full moon day of Tamil MonthThai to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak. The decorated icons of the Meenakshi and her consort are taken out in a procession from the Meenakshi Temple to the Mariamman Teppakulam. The icons are floated in the tank on a raft decked with flowers and flickering lamps.[173]
Jallikattu is the most popular historical sport in Tamil Nadu, which is a part of the Pongal festival (harvest festival) celebrated during January. The bull taming event is held in the villages surrounding Madurai when people from the neighbouring villages throng the open grounds to watch man and bull pitting their strength against each other.[175] Although the event was banned by theSupreme Court of India in 2014, large protests in 2017 led to the sport's reinstatement.[191] Santhanakoodu festivals in Madurai are celebrated on various days during the Islamic calendar year to commemorate Islamic saints.[192]
Electricity supply to the city is regulated and distributed by theTamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city is the headquarters of the Madurai region of TNEB and along with its suburbs, forms the Madurai Metro Electricity Distribution Circle, which is further divided into six divisions.[208] Water supply is provided by theMadurai City Corporation with overhead tanks and power pumps. In the period 2010–2011, a total of 950.6 lakh litres of water was supplied to 87,091 connections for households in Madurai.[209]
About 400 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the city every day by door-to-door collection, and the subsequent source segregation and dumping is carried out by the sanitary department of the Corporation of Madurai All the major channels in Madurai are linked by the corporation to receive the flood water from primary, secondary and tertiary drains constructed along the roadsides to dispose of rain water. The sewer system was first established by the British in Madurai in 1924 to cover the core city area, which covers 30 per cent of the present city area. It was further expanded in 1959 and 1983 by a corporation plan. The 2011Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission covered 90 per cent of households with underground drainage system.[210]
Madurai comes under the Madurai telecom district of theBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Both Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) andCode division multiple access (CDMA) mobile services are available. Apart from telecom, BSNL also providesbroadband internet service and Caller Line Identification (CLI) based internet service Netone.[211][212]
A regional passport office was opened on 17 December 2007 and caters to the needs of nine districts.[213] The city is served by theGovernment Rajaji Hospital.[214] A branch ofAll India Institutes of Medical Sciences in Thoppur, in the outskirts of the city, is set to be completed by 2022 as per Central government press release.[215]
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