Meenakshi Kalyanam

The festival of Meenaskhi Kalyanam is an annual solemnization of the marriage of Meenakshi with Lord Sundareshwar (Shiva) and this event stands as one of the most magnificent festivals in temple in the city of Madurai. The venue of this festival is the famous and revered temple, the Meenakshi temple, forming a part of the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu.

Meenaskhi Kalyanam is a marriage ceremonial festival of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwar. Like every temple festival, this too is associated with a legendary story and has a tale to tell. The story state that in course of the excursion of the Goddess Meenaskhi, she landed up there at Mount Kailash and met Lord Shiva and fell in love with Him.

Lord Shiva directed and advised Goddess to return back to Madurai and promised her for His visit after 8 days and on His arrival He married Goddess Meenakshi with splendor and grace and this festival is celebrated till today with equal pomp and grandeur in the city. This divine couple also gave birth to Ugra Pandyan, who is also known by a name Subramanya.

This twelve day festivity marks its beginning on the 2^nd day of the lunar month, which arrives after two days of the new moon and is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (April-May). The festival is carried along with the car processions of the Goddess and the God.

At the festival event the royal umbrellas are all decorated and the car parades are held with background music of traditional instrumental music. There are some scenes from the mythology, that are associated to the deities Lord Shiva, Goddess Shakti and Goddess Meenakshi are also enacted, which adds essence to the festival.

The festival event in Madurai witnesses thousands of people from all across the country.