State: Tamil Nadu

District: Madurai District

Main languages: Tamil

 

History:

 

The city of Madurai is the second largest city and a municipal corporation situated on the banks of the River Vaigai in Madurai district and it is also known as the Madura or the "Temple City", due to the large number of temples located here. The city is also the administrative capital of Madurai district. In ancient times the city was also the capital city of the Pandya kings of South India and it's cultural heritage goes back 2500 years. Madurai had been an important commercial center since as early as 550 C.E. The city has a legend that the original town of Madurai was destroyed by a tsunami in ancient Lemuria and the new city was home to the last Tamil Sangam in the early part of last Century. It is said that the national poet Subramanya Bharathi worked as a Tamil language pandit or teacher in Sethupathy High School during the early 20th century. 

 

Geography and climate:

 

Madurai has an urban area now extending over as much as 130 km², and it is located at 9°56′N 78°07′E/ 9.93, 78.12 with an average elevation of 101 meters above mean sea level. Madurai has a dry and hot climate with rains during October-December. During the summer months the temperatures here reach a maximum of 40 and a minimum of 26.3 degrees Celsius and the winter temperatures range between 29.6 and 18 degrees Celsius. The city receives an annual rainfall is about 85 cm.

 

Demographics:

 

As per the 2001 India census, the city of Madurai had a population of 922,913. Madurai also has a literacy rate of 79%.

 

Language:

 

The language spoken in the region is mainly Tamil but it is said that this version is the slang of "Madurai Tamil" and differs from "Kongu Tamil", "Nellai Tamil", "Ramnad Tamil" and "Chennai Tamil". 

 

Education:

 

The city of Madurai is one of the most vital centers of education in the district and hosts eminent institutions like Velammal College of Engineering and Technology, Madurai Medical College, an Agricultural College and Research Institute, a Law College, and many Engineering and Arts & Science Colleges. 

 

Economy:

 

One of the main sources of income in the city is tourism, which is largely owed to the historical marvels of the city. The other businesses here include small scale and large scale industries. Various software technology and IT sectors have also come up here and the city has become one of the busiest IT sectors in the country.

 

Tourism:

 

One of the biggest tourist attractions in the city is the Meenakshi Amman Temple complex, which is also one of the India's greatest cultural and architectural landmarks. This landmark had been originally built by the early Pandya King Kulasekara and the ancient city of Madurai supposedly was laid out in a lotus-like formation. The other attraction here is the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal and this palace complex was constructed in the Indo-Saracen style by Thirumalai Nayakar in 1636. The Azhagar Temple is located about 25 km from the city and is a Vishnu shrine. Other popular tourist attractions here include the Gandhi Musuem, the Kazimar Big Mosque, Fassiyatush Shadhiliya, Thiruparankundram, Kudal Azhagar Koil and various other tourist attractions.

 

Transportation:

 

The city of Madurai is well connected via land, road and air to different parts of the country and the airport caters to international flights to many countries. 

 

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