Historical Geography of Ancient India c7.342

c7.342

Madurā.—According to the Rāmāyaṇa (Uttarakāṇḍa, Sarga 83, v. 5) this beautiful city was full of Rākṣasas (demons) for a long time. This city is situated on the right bank of the river Vaigāi. It stands on the main line of the Southern Railway, 345 miles from Madras. (Madras Dist. Gazetteers, Madura, by W. Francis, pp. 257ff.). It is full of temples, and is undoubtedly a religious city. The temple of Viṣṇu is within a mile from the railway station, and the inside of it is made up of black marble with a pathway for circumambulation. The biggest of all temples at Madurā is that of Mīnākṣī, who is Lakṣmī. This temple covers a very large area, a portion of which is dedicated to Mīnākṣī and the other to Śiva. Madurā was the capital of the Pāṇḍya kings. It was the capital of Jaṭāvarman who ascended the throne in the 13th century A.D. and conquered the Hoysala king Someśvara of Karṇāṭaka (E.I., III, 8). Prof. Dikshitar in his Studies in the Tamil Literature and History (p. 13) distinguishes Dakṣiṇa Madurā from the modern city of Madurā.