Madurai General Information
Area : 22 sq kms
Population : 8,17,562 (1981 census)
Altitude : 101 m above sea level
Climate :
Summer : Max: 37.1'C, Min : 25.0'C
Winter: Max: 29.0'C Min: 20.0'C
Rainfall : 85 cms Average
Clothing : Tropical
Local Language : Tamil Other Languages
Spoken : Sourashtra, English
STD Code : 0452
Madurai's origin and name emerge from a misty and
lovely legend. In a forest near a lotus pond, Indra,
King of Gods, Worshipped Lord Siva as a Swayambu
Lingam.
At this hallowed spot, the Pandyan monarch Kulasekhara
built a great temple and clearing the forest, he
created a lotus- shaped city around the temple.
On the day the city was to be named, Lord Siva appeared
at the ceremony. As he blessed the land and its
people, divine nectar (Mathuram) was showered on
the city from his matted locks.
The city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. Madhurapuri
grew and prospered to become the capital of the
Pandyan Kingdom. It is referred to in the Ramayana
and Kautily's Arthashastra.
Megasthenes (302 BC), pliny (77AD) and Ptolemy (140
AD) wrote of "Madura, the kingdom of the Pandian".
Macro polo visited Madurai in 1293 AD and lbn Batuta
in 1333 AD.
Madurai lies on the banks of the River Vaigai. The
temple and the old city are on the southern bank,
while modern Madurai with its textile mills, engineering
industries and large university sprawls around.
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