TEMPLE CITY · TAMIL NADU
Madurai is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a recorded history spanning over 2,500 years. The city's heart is the Meenakshi Amman Temple, a towering Dravidian masterpiece with 14 gopurams (gateway towers) covered in thousands of colourful stucco sculptures. Madurai was the capital of the Pandya dynasty and a major centre for Tamil literature and learning. The Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, a 17th-century Indo-Saracenic palace, and the bustling flower markets around the temple add to the city's character. Madurai is 460km from Cochin.
October to March for pleasant weather. January for the Pongal festival. April–May for the Chithirai Festival (Meenakshi Temple's grand celebration). June–September brings moderate rain.
Madurai Airport has flights from Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad (12km from city). Madurai Junction is a major railway hub with trains from Chennai (8hr), Bangalore, and Trivandrum. Drive from Cochin takes about 5.5 hours via NH85.
