Close to Heart.

Bustling streets, crowded shops, towering temple gopurams, air filled with the fragrance of jasmine and women wrapped with the native ‘sungudi’ (cotton saris dyed with traditional designs). They call it the ‘Temple City’, yes you are guessing it right! It is the town in southern India famous for all the above specialties. Once the capital for the ‘Pandya’ kingdom, Madurai is a humble home with noble contribution towards art, Tamil literature and heritage. No wonder tourists never miss the opportunity to rejoice this legacy, unique to its self.

Yes ‘my’ city exhibits congested roads and very narrow streets but its citizens are broad minded and affectionate. It houses many industries and possesses many historical attractions. The famous ‘Vaigai’ river in this land flows gracefully, if the God of rain decides to shower some mercy! It greets Lord Alagar every summer, even the Lord has never missed his opportunity to step foot in those cool waters to take a break from the scorching sun. His sister, the consort of Lord Shiva is believed to rule her kingdom of Madurai. She takes motherly care of her children and land and grants them with plenty. The Goddess, whose eyes resemble that of a fish, is dear to many,even miles away because she represents a ruling monarch holding the ‘scepter’ in her hand that never fails to attribute justice, peace and love. For, she was ‘Meenakshi’ the only child to her father, who ruled the Pandyan Empire.

This divine city has not just attracted visitors but also the ‘IT’ giants. These modern technocrats dare not ruin the humble beauty of this solemn land by tagging their activities with fancy names like ‘development’ and ‘modernization’. Madurai will not easily fall victim to the ‘tech-savvy’ craze, for we all know that software is no longer a wonder ware. People live a modest yet a content life, as they are not masked with greed nor glamour but cherish the small joys of life.

You will see satisfaction and thrill in their eyes, when they have a glimpse, of their Goddess come on a grand procession, to make sure her citizens are satisfied as always.

In an era of globalization, Madurai gets connected to other cities in the world to improve trade and commerce because many have understood that the financial capital (Mumbai) and technology capital (Bengaluru) of India stand second, to this ‘Cultural capital’ of my nation.