Meenakshi Amman Temple

India's Dazzling Shrine Saturated With Statues

The city of Madurai in the South Eastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and has been a functioning metropolis for over two thousand years. At its heart lies something extraordinary - a temple to the Hindu Goddess Parvati and her husband consort, Shiva.

The vast temple complex is guarded by ten gateway towers, known as gopuram. The tallest of the ten is the south tower which was built in 1559 and stands over 170 feet tall. The most antique is the eastern tower which dates back to 1216 built several centuries before Columbus sailed away to discover a faraway land.