Madurai

Temple City

The temple city of Madurai, one of the oldest cities in India, still basks in the charms of old world glory. The grandiose architectural splendor and historic importance make it well acclaimed as “the Athens of the East”. This ancient city traces its origin way back to the Sangam period - considered as the golden age of Tamil literature. This period saw literature masterpieces being produced, dating as early as the pre Christian era and the early 1st millennium. Madurai was then the seat of Tamil Sangam or Academy of Learning.

Madurai also finds mention in the great Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The city had a flourishing trade relation with ancient Rome and Greece. Megasthanes, the Greek diplomat, visited Madurai in 3rd century BC and praised the city for its architectural grandeur. Great travel-historians like Pliny and Ptolemy have made reference to Madurai in their travelogues. Marcopolo and Ibn Batuta have also made journeys to this glorious city.