கூடல் அழகர் திருக்கோயில் மதுரை
This is an important Vishnu temple in Madurai very close to the Meenakshi Amman temple. Koodal is an ancient name for Madurai and Alagar means Lord Vishnu. It is a Divya Desam temple. It is very ancient and is mentioned in the Sangam Literature of the 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE. The current structure was originally built by Pandian kings between the 9th and 12th centuries (with some Chola influence in the 10th and 11th centuries). It has been extensively renovated during the Vijayanagar and Nayakkan periods between the 14th and 16th centuries and has layers of history embedded in it. There is an inscription from the 8th century.
The sanctum has 3 levels and is one of only two temples where you can see Lord Vishnu in all 3 poses - sitting (on the main level), lying (on the second level) and standing (on the 3rd level). There is a small fee to access the upper levels. The style of the vimanam is unique. It is an eight sided Ashtanga Vimanam and was likely built in the 10th century. Absolutely stunning architecture. At 2 acres in area, it is not a huge temple but it is a beautiful temple and culturally very important. The stucco images on the rajagopuram tell the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, It is enclosed by a tall granite wall. It is a must see temple in Madurai.
We visited in August 2019.
Credits: Google Maps
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