The Sculptural Splendour of Meenakshi Amman Temple

Madurai, one of the ancient cities of the South India, is well known as the “Athens of the South” and “Mediterranean Emporium of the East” from very ancient period. It served as the cultural capital of the Tamils for several centuries. It was the seat of the Academy of Poets (Sangam) many centuries before and after the beginning of the Common Era. The history and culture of any region, in the Indian sub-continent, often centers round a temple. This is actually true in the case of Madurai where the temple has made a significant contribution not only to the religious life of the people, but also served as the nucleus around which the social and cultural life of the people revolves. As the city has the continuous history from very ancient past to this day, the temple there in also has been growing continuously through the centuries starting from a small thatched shed to the vast temple complex exhibiting a unique architectural and artistic idiom called “Madurai School of Art”. The temple accommodates thousands of sculptures which not only depict the epic and puranic themes but also reflect the contemporary social, cultural and folk traditions. The present book “Sculptural Wonders of Meenakshi Temple” explains in detail the sculptural embellishments and their social and cultural importance in a systematic and scientific manner. It would be of much useful to the general readers, students and researchers to understand the sculptural beauty and their legendary background.