![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/r/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Madurai
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This SourceMadurai (மதுரை, mɐd̪ɯrəj) is a town and a municipal corporation with a city population of 922,913 according to 2001 census. It is situated on the banks of River Vaigai in Madurai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Madurai boasts of a cultural heritage that goes back 2500 years and has functioned as an important commercial center as early as 550 AD. Madurai was the capital city of the Pandya kings of South India. Today the city of Madurai is the administrative capital of Madurai district.
History
The origins of the city are cloaked in myth and little of its prehistory has come to light. When Madurai steps into the limelight of history, namely through the sliver of literature of the last Sangam (Tamil poetic conclave), it emerges as a confident and sophisticated society, presupposing centuries of hitherto poorly documented development. Nevertheless the city enjoyed its reputation as a magnet for literary and artistic activity during the early centuries before and after Christ in what is called the 'Sangam Age', named after the bardic conclaves which produced a copious amount of sophisticated literature under the patronage of the Pandya kings. The early history of the city, in fact at least until the 13th century A.D., is irrevocably tied with the fortunes of the Pandya clan which ruled the far south of India with Madurai as its capital. Megasthenes, the Seleucid envoy of the Mauryan court in Pataliputra, bears witness to the greatness of Madurai in the 3rd century B.C. through his Indica, albeit surviving as a fragmentary record in the writings of other classical historians. According to the account Madurai was governed by a queen by the name of Pandeia, the daughter of Herakles. He also makes note of the kingdom's wealth and like Kautilya in the Arthasastra makes account of the rich resources much sought by traders, namely gemstones, pearls and other rare organic produce. The Pandya and their kingdom are also noted in other early texts, for instance in several recensions of the epics (Ramayana and the Mahabharata - though these may well be later additions), in the work of the Sanskrit grammarian Katyayana, Ptolemy Geography, the anonymous Periplus of the Erthyean Sea and perhaps more famously in the Ashoka edicts. Little note however has been made of the city's customs and physical remains though. One interesting exception however is noted by Megasthenes, namely that of individual households taking turns to supply the royal house with necessities like clarified butter and grain. This practice must have been ancient since it is confirmed by the later Tamil epic Silapadikaram. Tamil sources themselves confirm the antiquity of the city. temple.jpg|thumb|Gopuram of Madurai Meenakshi Temple]] According to a late text, the city played host to the Third Sangam, the first two being held in coastal cities lost to the sea in distant memory. Whatever the case may be the city of Madurai has been greatly remembered in popular memory for the immense literary activity which produced some of the greatest bards and epic-writers in literary history, ranging from figures like Nakirar of Sangam fame to the late medieval child-poet Kumaragurubarar. It also hosted the literary conclaves that produced the first Tamil epics Silappathikaaram and other literary masterpieces. Underlying this literary activity was royal patronage and the Pandya kings were overly enthusiastic in the promotion of literary activity, some of them being notable poets themselves. Of course such literary and artistic activity (less attested for the early period) presupposed prosperity which the city more or less enjoyed throughout the ages with a few ruptures, the worst perhaps being the invasion of the Delhi Sultanate and the brief iconoclastic rule of the Madurai Sultans in the late 13th century. Besides literary prowess the city was also noted for its artistic activity (especially well documented after the 5th century) and its role as a religious centre both for the Brahmanic faith and Jainism. Few, if any, objects of artistic quality survive in the city from before the 5th century, at least before the rise of the Pallava king Mahendravarman who was so influential in introducing stone (more durable) as an artistic medium. Yet literature, both Tamil and classical, furnish us with some details of the industrial and fine arts of the city. Mention is made of fine lamps and exotica created for the Roman market. Sculpture of durable material (e.g. stone and bronze) could not have been entirely unknown considering the strong links with Near Eastern ports and later with Greco-Roman traders. In fact mention has been made in Tamil literature of commemorative statuary produced by Kings of the early age. Stone however seems to have been less favourable a medium due to funerary connections.
From the 5th century onwards more material, especially stone statuary, survives to validate the antiquity of the city's artistic traditions. The Meenakshi Sundareswara temple which is at the heart of Madurai does not survive in its original state for much comment to be made of its early architecture. Nevertheless the temple and its goddess, the tutelary deity of the Pandyas and according to legend an early progenitor of the line herself is surely of great antiquity. Much of its early history like the city's is shrouded in myth and little remains of 'history' to be gathered. Nevertheless it would suffice to mention that it was built originally by the early Pandya king Kulasekhara to house the Shiva Linga, apparently worshipped by the Deva Indra. The walls around the Sundarewara shrine are surely ancient since they are also attested to by the Saint Sambandar in his hymns. The artistic tradition of the city becomes clearer towards the late medieval age, especially in the Vijayanagar-Nayaka age where enough survives to distinguish numerous craft industries ranging from ivory carving to bronze-working. Turning to the religious affiliations of the city, note has already been made of the city's ancient shrine to Meenakshi and Sundareswara, in effect the divine pair Shiva-Parvati though it has been proposed that these were regional deities posthumously identified with Brahmanical deities in the complicated process of 'Aryanisation'. Nevertheless as attested by literature the Pandyas were ardent supporters of the Brahmanic faith and all temples in the city have in the foundation-myths, royal origins. The archetypal king was of course the great warrior, patron of arts and letters and above all a model of piety, perhaps surviving in sculptural form in the Nayaka king portraits in anjali mudra gracing the mandapas of Madurai's great temple. Also gracing the city in the early centuries of the first millennium were the Saiva and Vaishnava saints who produced the devotional literature represented in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandam (Vaishnava) and the Tevaram corpus (Saiva). In Madurai's history the child-saint Sambandar was probably most famous for having performed the conversion of the Pandya king who adhered to the Jaina faith. In a series of miracles the Saiva saint shamed the Jaina advisors of the King, who later suffered the terrible fate of impalement. Jainism was for most of Madurai's early history a successful rival to the Brahmanic faith. Interestingly the earliest inscriptions (2nd century B.C) in the Madurai environs belong to Jain ascetics who inscribed them on nearby granitic outcrops. Many other notable Jain sites like Sittanavasal are also to be found in the Pandya domain, most in close proximity to Madurai.
The Classical Connection
In the early centuries of the common era, there existed voluminous sea-trade between the lands of the Mediterranean, most notably Rome, and the lands of South India. Augustus Caesar speaks of Indian envoys, hitherto unknown in Rome and boasts having been the first Roman ruler to entreat them. The trade in pearls, gemstones, live animals and other exotic produce brought not just foreign products but ideas and people as well. The cosmopolitan city of Madurai, though inland benefited greatly from this trade. No doubt classical influences permeated local traditions and customs. Mention is made of Yavana (Greco-Roman) bodyguards for the Pandya royalty and the nearby ports harboured settlements of Mediterranean merchants. Hoards of Roman coins have been found in undisturbed coastal sites, the most famous find being further north at Arikamedu (4 km from Puducherry), mostly a part of the later Chola and Pallava Kingdoms. Little remains of the physical temples and buildings to suggest classical influence there, nevertheless, the presence of a Roman-style theatre at Amravati in Andhra and toga-wearing Buddhist statuary might suggest a similar influence on the Pandyan Madurai though the suggestion is at best a conjecture due to the paucity of ancient remains.Nayak Rule
Vijayanagar rulers appointed Governors known as Nayaks or Nayyakars to administer this newly annexed territory. By 1545 the Nayaks became more autonomous, establishing the Madurai Nayak dynasty ruling up to 1740s. The temple was reopened and the Nayaks, most notably Thirumalai Nayak, contributed much to the rebuilding of the temple that had almost been destroyed during the Sultanate rule. The Nayaks made lasting contributions to the city's architecture such as the Raja Gopuram of the Meenakshi Temple, and the Thirumalai Nayak Palace. After the Vijayanagar empire collapsed in 1565, the Nayak dynasty continued to rule Madurai for about two centuries. Rani Mangammal (1689-1704) was other notable ruler who made large contributions to the city's structures. During her reign Shivaji Bhonsle, the great Maratha Ruler, invaded the south; and so did Chikka Deva Raya of Mysore and other Muslim rulers, resulting in chaos and instability all around. Rani Mangammal stood up against these invasions. Though her rule lasted no more than two decades, she was cherished by the people of Madurai for the prudence, determination and courage she exhibited during a particularly troublesome period, with very little support from outside. The kingdom began to break up after her rule as her successors were weak rulers, and invasions of Madurai recommenced.British Rule
Madurai soon started slipping into the hands of the British East India Company. By 1801, the whole of Madurai district, which then was made up of Dindigul, Palani, Kodaikkanal, Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai was brought under the control of British East India Company. Madurai was the birthplace of American academic Vida Dutton Scudder. American missionary Henry Martyn Scudder came to Madurai in 1846. Great Tamil Poet Bharathiyar worked in Sethupathi School as Tamil Teacher for a brief time. Madurai stands on the banks of the river Vaigai. The city is well known for its spiritual hill Thiruparankundram which abodes lord Subramaniya. Apart from this the ancient city is also surrounded by three small prominent hills which are called the Anaimalai, Pasumalai and Nagamalai from their supposed resemblance to an elephant, a cow and a snake respectively.In the post-Independence era, Madurai District, headquartered at style="font-weight : bold;">Madurai city, was one of the largest districts of Tamil Nadu. It was also the administrative headquarters of the neighboring Ramanathapuram District. However, in 1984, the then huge Madurai district was bifurcated into Madurai and Dindigul District for administrative convenience. Again, in 1997, it was bifurcated into Madurai and Theni District. Like all other districts of India, it is administered by a District Collector, a person from the Indian Administrative Service. Thiru S.S Jawahar IAS is the current District collector.
A recent attraction is the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in Ulaganeri, Madurai, the only location outside of Chennai to have such a setup.
Geography
Madurai has an area of 52 sq. km (now extened up to 130 sq.km) . Madurai is located at . So It has an average elevation of 101 meters above Mean Sea Level. The climate is dry and hot, with rains during October-December. Temperature during the summer reaches a maximum of 40.0 Deg. C. and Minimum of 26.3 Deg. C. During winter the temperature reaches a maximum of 29.6 Deg. C. and a minimum of 18.0 Deg. C. The average annual rainfall is 85 cm (850mm)
Demographics
As of 2001 India census, the city of Madurai had a population of 922,913 and the urban area 1,194,665. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Madurai has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%. In Madurai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. There are 968 females per 1,000 males.
Population decline:
| Year | Population | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 940,989 | census | official |
| 2001 | 922,913 | census | official |
| 2007 | 1,300,998 | calculation |
People and culture
The people of Madurai are amicable, hospitable, and deeply respect and value their traditions. Though Salwar Kameez, a generally north-western Indian wear for women, has made deep inroads into the city's populace, many prefer the traditional Indian wear of Thavani or Dhavani, also called Half Saree, and Saree. Recently too, the preference for Western wear has increased. Maduraiites like to entertain themselves by watching movies and visiting amusement parks. The city has plenty of Movie Halls, numbering about 50. This is a large number for a city of Madurai's size, and recently many Movie Halls have closed down due to High ticket rates. Madurai once had a rich tradition of Carnatic music, boasting of several stalwarts. Popular carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai and learnt music here until she moved to Madras. Veteran Play back singer of yesteryears Padma Sri T.M. Soundararajan is also a Maduraite.
Madurai is famous for the Jil Jil Jigarthanda, Paruthi Pal, Ambatbath(Soutrastra special) and sugar cane juice. Jil Jil Jigarthanda is a delicious drink made of algae, milk and sugar. Paruthi pal is yet another drink made of cotton seeds, flour of raw rice, coconut and jaggery. There is also a special 'fruit mixture' drink that is sold here, mostly near the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Some of the famous restaurants in Madurai are the Modern Restaurant (since 1956), Arya Bhavan and the latest Madurai Meenakshi Bhavan. The specialty of Modern Restaurant is the scrumptious chili parotha, which is spicy shredded bits of parotha garnished with green chilies, lemon, and cilantro. Another favorite joint is Murugan Idli Shop that serves steaming hot idlis and a variety of chutneys to go with it. One great distinction about Madurai's road side food joints is that they are available almost all the time. Visitors to Madurai are recommended to try the dosas and pongals; there are some 30 varieties of dosas alone. Coffee Day has its outlet in the city which attracts lot of "cosmopolitans" in the city. There are other fast food restaurants as well, such as Shake Away and Tornado. Hava Valley is one of the best "Date Spots" in the city on the foothills of alagarmalai, known for shade and a cool climate. Madurai is also well known for its fragrant jasmine flowers, known as Malli or Malligai in Tamil, an important horticultural produce. The buds are transported every day to major cities in India, likeSalem, Tutucorin, Nagercoil and Rajapalayam.
City architecture
The City of Madurai was originally built around the Meenakshi temple. Rectangular streets named after the Tamil months of Aadi, Chithirai and Maasi surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos. Though there are numerous other temples in Madurai, which is why it is known as the "Temple City", the Meenakshi temple's architectural splendor outdoes all of them. The Temple Complex in itself is breathtaking, given the fort-like walls pierced with lofty gopurams (towers), over an area of 640,000 square feet (60,000 m²). The gopurams are adorned with figures of Hindu gods, animals and mythological creatures. Upon entering the temple, one gets to view the spectacular Potraamaraikkulam, meaning the Golden Lotus pond, surrounded by corridors depicting murals from the Thiruvilaiyaadal Puraanam. The Ayirangaal Mandapam (Thousand Pillared Hall) is another exhibit of impressive craftsmanship whose pillars feature sculptural work beyond comparison. Madurai has many other famous temples. Some of them are: Thirupparankundram, Pazhamuthircholai, two of the six temple shrines of Lord Murugan (son of Lord Shiva according to Tamil beliefs); Azhagarkovil, a prominent Vaishnavaite shrine, Aappudaiyaar temple and Koodalazhagar temple.
Present-day Madurai extends on both sides of the River Vaigai. The parts of the city adjoining the temple in the southern banks of Vaigai are bustling commercial hubs where one can find everything from basic necessities to electronic gadgets. As a result, they are congested and offer little scope for further expansion. However, across the river, is where one would find the chic, modern and young face of Madurai with its relatively spacious roads and structures with plenty of room for expansion and development. There is a mosque called Kazimar Periya Pallivasal or Kazimar Big Mosque, located within a kilometer from the temple. Hazrat Kazi Syed Tajuddin who came from Oman during late 12th century, got this land from the king Ku Pandiyan and constructed the mosque which is the first ever Muslim place of worship in Madurai. All his descendants (Huqdars-Share holders of that mosque called Syeds) have lived in the same locality for 700 years, and managed the mosque since then. Syed Tajuddin was appointed as Kazi of the sultans, and till now his descendants who live at Kazimar street, Madurai are appointed as Kazis to the Government of Tamil Nadu All syeds belong to the Sunni sect of Islam with Hanafi school. Most of the descendants of Kazi syed tajuddin are shadhilis (shazuli) and follow the Sufi order Fassiyatush Shadhiliya A famous ITI is also being run by the Huqdhars, for more than 25 years in the heart of the city, viz., KAZI TAJUDDIN I.T.I. which serves for the cause of technical education to the down trodden and economically backward Muslims of the locality and the neighboring districts. The Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal is located in Madurai It has been constructed in the Indo-Saracen style by Thirumalai nayakar in 1636. This palace was declared as a national monument and is now under the care of the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department.
The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. This palace was divided into two parts, namely Swarga-vilasa and Rang-vilasa. In these two parts, there are royal residence, theater, shrine, apartments, armory, palanquin place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and garden. The ceilings are decorated with large paintings showing Shaivite and Vaishnavite themes.
The portico known as Swarga Vilasam is an arcaded octagon wholly constructed of brick and mortar without the support of a single rafter or girder, is a standing testimony to the Dravidian skills. The stucco work on its domes and arches is remarkable. The gigantic pillars and structures represents the amazing architectural mastery of Nayak Kings. The courtyard and the dancing hall are being the center of attractions. The stucco work on its domes and arches is remarkable. There are around 248 pillars of each 58 feet toll and 5 feet diameter
Furniture and utensils used by the kings have been exhibited inside the palace. The palace is equipped to perform Light & Sound shows depicting the story of Silappathikaram in both Tamil and English languages.
Entry Timings: 9.00 am. To 1.00 pm 2.00 pm. To 5.00 pm. Entrance Fee: Re.1/-per head.
Timings for daily Sound and light show: English at 6.45 pm, Tamil at 8.15 pm. Ticket charges for the Sound and Light show: Adults Rs.10/-, Child Rs.5
The Madurai Collectorate, Madurai District Court, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai Corporation Building, Madurai Race Course, Government Offices, and many schools, colleges and companies are located in the northern part of the city.
The Temples in the City
The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, which stands today as one of India's cultural and architectural landmarks, was originally built by the early Pandya King Kulasekara. The ancient city of Madurai was supposed to be laid out in a lotus-like formation with the temple at the center and streets and main thoroughfares layered one after the other in a concentric fashion. Legend has it that on the day the city was to be named, Lord Shiva blessed the land and its people while divine nectar showered on the city from his matted locks. The city hence came to be known as "Madhurapuri" meaning "The City of Divine Nectar". It is most likely a late legend attempting to Sanskritise the otherwise Dravidian derivative of 'Madurai'. Perplexingly there remains another ancient city in the North by the name of Madura of Krishna fame. Could it be possible that the Southern city found a famous Northern name just as Madura in Indonesia and Ayuthia in Thailand are named after the counterparts in India. The appropriation of sacred geography was nothing novel and was to be repeated in the South's history perhaps most famously in Rajendra Chola's Gangaikondacholapuram.
The city has often been referred to as "Athens of the East" perhaps due to its monumental temples. Much of the monumentalism can be attributed to the medieval Vijayanagara-Nayaka Kings who embellished the original structures with numerous prakaras (circumambulatory pathways) and mandapas (halls). The thousand-pillared hall was one such innovation of the period. The thousand-pillared hall of the Meenakshi Sundareswara temple is particularly famous for its beautiful sculptural depictions of Rati, Kama, Nritya Ganapati and Bhairava amongst countless others. The Thirukalyanam or Divine Wedding of Meenakshi and her spouse Sundareswara is rendered in poignant manner by the Nayaka artists. The temple is a treasure-trove of statuary of varying quality, the new stucco being somewhat clumsier and gaudy in the face of the austere and imposing granitic works of the Vijayanagar-Nayaka period. Rarely old Pandya sculpture is integrated into the newer portions and the sanctum sanctorum of the temple certainly contains images of great antiquity. The destruction or rather devastation of the old temple by the raiding armies of the Sultanate coerced late medieval rulers to rebuild many portions of the temple. Most famous of all patrons was the Nayaka king Thirumalai Nayak whose palace also survives in fragmentary state. Another equally famous site within the temple walls is the Potramarai Kulam or Golden Lotus Tank, reputedly used to test the quality of literary works of the Sangam. It is said the didactic philosopher Valluvar's work was thrown into the tank to test its reputed worth. The work which miraculously did not sink was accepted by the poetic conclave of Madurai. The legend is most likely an apocryphal one, used to boost the reputation of didactic philosopher's work, The Thirukkural.
The other noteworthy temple of Madurai, whose foundation myth is intricately connected with the Meenakshi Sundareswara is the Azhagar Kovil or Temple of the Handsome One, dedicated to Vishnu who in Madurai's legend appears as the goddess Meenakshi's brother, officiating her marriage with Sundareswara (Shiva whose name here coincidentally also means the Handsome One - albeit in Sanskrit). The high onion-dome of the sanctum sanctorum although brightly covered in later stucco work reveals the outline of an older Pandya plan. The gold-covered horse vahana (mount) of the deity is a particular attraction alongside ancient jewelry surviving in some amount (as does in the Meenakshi Sundareswara - some even donated by British colonial officials).
A thriving business has been made of selling temple memorabilia and religious trinkets, often within the temple walls, sometimes obscuring the fine statuary. The practice of selling mementoes for devotees is however not novel and examples survive at least from the 18th century ranging from cloth prints to miniature reproductions of the temple's main deity for the pocket of the devotee.
Alagar koyil,is about 25kms from the city is also a holy shrine. The place being surrounded by hills makes one's mind in the peace nature.The principal idol represents lord Kallalagar.Early mass festival called Chittirai festival is celebrated around centuries in this place.The temple holds hills which also hols some other temples,called palamudhir cholai.
The Badri Narayanan Temple,Alagar kovil
In the entrance of the Alagar kovil one can notice Badhri Narayanan temple 
,built as like Badrinath near kailash(North india).The principal idol represents Vishnu in a meditative posture and is flanked by Nara-Narayan.
Some of the other images include Laxmi (Vishnu's consort), Garuda (Vishnu's mount), Anjineya, and Ganesha.
The Lord Kallalagar visits the temple in the eve of the Chittirai festival, one of the famous festivals in Tamil Nadu. The Kallalagar starts his journey from the Alagar Koil crossing the Badri Narayanan Shrine.[1] During this time, he visits Vandiyur, near the Vaigai River, on the eastern outskirts of Madurai. It is believed that he realizes that he is too late for his sister's wedding, so refuses to cross the river and returns disappointed to Alagar Koil.[2]
Madurai Tamil
Madurai Tamil is known as the standard Tamil. Nowadays, In Pop Culture, The colloquial Tamil spoken by Madurai People is shown as Madurai TamilTransport
Madurai is well connected by air, rail and road. The railway station is one of the busiest in World, with trains from every minor city in India, and has computerized reservation counters. Madurai Division has repeatedly got the award for best maintained station in Southern Railway. The railway station code for Madurai Junction is MDU. Madurai has twenty bus stands, which cater to the needs of the people: Central Bus terminus at Central Busstand (North)the second biggest bus stand in South east Asia after Koyembedu,chennai, Palanganatham (South), Arappalayam (West), Periyar (Central) and Anna Bus stand (East). The major bus stand is at Maattuthavani, from where many buses all over the country operate round the clock. A sudden importance to infrastructure has been well augmented by construction of bridges across the Vaigai river to connect Madurai at various points. Flyovers have been constructed within the city to overcome traffic congestion. The Golden Quadrilateral and the four lane highway to Madras makes Madurai one of the most well connected cities in Asia. Madurai Airport is approximately 13 kilometers from the Madurai Railway station, and currently has connectivity to Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. Jet Airways, Air Deccan, Paramount Airways and Indian Airlines are the only airline operators. International flights from Madurai to Colombo, Singapore and Gulf countries plan to start their service this year. Soon Madurai airport will become busiest airport like Chennai.| Airline-From Madurai | Service to |
|---|---|
| Indian | Chennai, Mumbai |
| Paramount Airways | Chennai,Bangalore |
| Jet Airways | Chennai |
| Air Deccan (Kingfisher) | Chennai, Bangalore |
Education
Madurai is the home to popular Kamaraj University. The City has Medical College, Agricultural College, Law College and many Engineering, Arts and Science Colleges. Madurai has many reputed Schools,Polytechnics and ITIs.Madurai Kamaraj University
The Madurai Kamaraj University (1966) situated in Nagamalai Pudukottai, has 18 schools, which in turn is made up of 72 departments. It pioneered the concept of Distance Education throughout India, and its Directorate of Distance Education currently boasts of a student strength of about 130,000. Several other Arts and Science colleges are present in and around the city, affiliated to the Madurai Kamaraj University. It has departments where one could study the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., to Intricate technologies like Geo Informatics, Bio Informatics and beyond. A complete academic pride for Madurai.Colleges
Madurai is home to some of India's oldest institutions including the Thiagarajar College of Enginneering, Thiagarajar college of Arts and science, The American College and the Madura College. The city has a Medical College, Madurai Medical College (1954), an Agricultural College and a Law College. Madurai is also home to Lady Doak College (1948), which is the oldest college for women in south India.M.S.S.WAKF BOARD COLLEGE (The only college in India run by Govt.Wakf Board)
The city also has its share of Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics,Paramedical and Nursing Colleges. This city is home to one of Tamil
Nadu's oldest engineering institutions, [Thiagarajar College of
Engineering] (1957) and private engineering colleges such as
[KLN. College Of Engineering Sivagangai Dt. (1994)] ,
Raja College of Engineering and Technology Madurai Dt. (1995), Sethu Institute of TechnologyRamanathapuram Dt., SACS MAVMM Engineering college azhagar koil, Vickram College of Engineering(2001), PTR College of Engineering, the Kamaraj College of Engineering & Technology in Kaligudi.
Schools
Schools in Madurai are either run by the Tamil Nadu Government or Government aided or are run privately.A.P.T. Dorairaj Higher Secondary School,The Sethupathi Higher Secondary School,AV higher sec School,Union Christian Higher Secondary School, Madura College Higher Secondary School, The OCPM Girls Higher Secondary School,Sourashtra Higher Secondary School,St.Mary's Higher Secondary School,Sourashtra Boys higher Secondary School Madurai's economy was chiefly agrarian. Paddy plantation was widely seen. Textiles and tourism
contribute significantly to the local economy. Madurai is famous for
"Sungidi", a fine-count, zari-bordered, fabric painted cotton
saree. However, in the past few years, overt dependence on
monsoons, and international competition and cheaper imports have dented
the performance of agriculture and textile sectors respectively.
Madurai has a thriving flower industry, jasmine in particular.
"Madurai Malli" jasmine is well known across Tamil Nadu and beyond for
its enchanting fragrance. The cultivation of jasmine is done at the
foothills of Kodaikanal near Madurai, with its red soil which
retains water. The flowers are in good demand in other parts of India
like Salem, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi,
Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata and
Hyderabad. They are also exported to the Middle East and Singapore, where they are used in perfumes.
To reduce unemployment and to promote equitable growth of small-scale
industries in all areas, District Industries Centers (DIC) were formed
through out the country. DIC's primary objective is to provide aspiring
and budding entrepreneurs all necessary assistance. In Madurai, it was
formed in 1979. DIC conducts workshops periodically to motivate
students of Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics and Industrial Training
Institutes and how they can put their entrepreneurial skills to work.
DIC also organizes programs to promote entrepreneurship among women.
Madurai IT association is formed to provide the educational as well as the IT related information.www.maduraiitians.com
this associations provide the HR consultancy, Tranining, Madurai Recruitment database.
www.maduraiitians.com is established in year 2004
The emergence of the Honeywell's Research Lab tied to the Thiagarajar
Enginnering College and TCS' Disaster Recovery Centre have been
instrumental in IT development of the city. Also interest from Syntel,
Infosys and RR Industries in opening development centers mean Madurai
can look forward to an IT industry driven future. The global software
major, IBM, has established its "Rational Center of Excellence" at KLN college of Engineering that is
equipped with latest software, hardware and networking technologies. Hcl technologies planned to start their it hub in madurai by 2008. Even satyam computers also planned to start their hub in madurai by 2009.another 2 years madurai become a major IT hub for south india after chennai and bangalore.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)Economy
Healthcare
Madurai is also home to the Aravind Eye Care
System which is an international eye-care hospital, research and
training institute that provides quality and affordable eye health care
to all, and an organisation which develops high-volume, low-cost
service models for deployment in India and developing nations. Aravind
has pioneered a system of vertical integration in healthcare by
conducting in-house training of doctors and paramedicals, developing
comprehensive hospital design standards, and manufacturing intra-ocular
lenses, pharmaceuticals and sutures for use in cataract surgery. The
Aravind eye hospital was founded by Padmashree Dr. G. Venkataswamy.
AIIMS (All India Institute For Medical Sciences, New Delhi) is setting
up a high end, mordern hospital in the city, first ever of its type in
South India. And this is getting added to the top level hospitals in
Madurai.
Other important Hospitals are: Govt. Rajaji Hospital of Madurai Medical
Collage, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Apollo Speciality Hospitals,
Christian Mission Hospitals etc.
Industrial development
Madurai has long been a laggard in industrial development as compared
to other parts of Tamil Nadu and India. TVS, India, TVS Srichakra,
manufacturer of tyres and tubes for two wheelers, Fenner,
manufacturer of solid woven PVC conveyor belts, TAFE, manufacturer of
tractors and farm equipments and Madura Coats, manufacturer of
textiles are some of the major companies in Madurai. Honeywell, a
technology and manufacturing company in aerospace products and
services. Madurai based Aztecs Technologies
Private Limited is offering high-end engineering software services in
the domain areas of Mapping, Geographic Information System (GIS),
Engineering drawing conversion, data conversion and the like.
ANT (Advanced Networking Technology) Solution is the one of the
leading IT Networking Solution provider. SAMTRACK was the first
BPO company to get established in Madurai in 2000 and Chella Softwarewas the first IT products company from the
city, specializing in trading and risk management solutions.ITflexSolutions is a leading Software and Web Development
Company in Madurai. The ITflex Solutions put forward a wide-ranging of
Software Development and web development services. Madurai based Winways is the first exclusive open source software venture in
south Tamilnadu. According to a recent task force report released by
the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Madurai district has the
potential to become a "manufacturing hub" and can be promoted as a
knowledge gateway and tourism corridor of southern Tamil Nadu.
The State and Union Governments, acknowledging the fact that there has
been little industrial development in Madurai district, have adopted a
multi-pronged approach to give a much-needed fillip to industrial
growth. The Government has set up industrial estates in different parts
of the city to push industrial growth in identified key areas, thus
building entrepreneurs and creating new jobs. The following
industrial estates are currently operational: IT industry
The district administration has identified two sites, one near the
Madurai Kamaraj University at Pudukottai and the other on the
city outskirts, for setting up the much-awaited IT Park The Government
has transferred 8.81 hectares at Ilandhaikulam and 26771 acres at
Kinnimangalam (near Madurai Kamaraj University) to ELCOT. The Madurai
Corporation has identified 97129.93 acres of land for establishing the
Tidel park in the city. The Tidel park will be an Elcot undertaking.
NASSCOM, CII and MADITSSIA have joined hands to conduct the
"Madurai.com", a move to showcause Madurai as an ideal IT destination.
The government run STPI has plans to open its Madurai centre in the
year 2007}See also
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 22:29:22 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation