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About Meenakshi Thirukalyanam

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About Meenakshi Thirukalyanam

Meenakshi Thirukalyanam is the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva), celebrated at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai on the tenth day of the Chithirai festival, in April or May.

Temple tradition tells of Meenakshi as the warrior queen of Madurai who meets Shiva and marries him there, with Lord Vishnu, as her brother, giving her away. The festival before the wedding includes her coronation (pattabhishekam) and her victory tour (dig vijayam).

On the wedding morning the temple is full of flowers, music and devotees. Married women often change the thread of their thali on this day, praying for long and happy married lives. Free wedding feasts are served to devotees, and the next day the temple chariots are pulled through the streets.

  • Chithirai month (Apr-May)
  • Madurai, Tamil Nadu
  • Heart of the Chithirai festival
  • Women change the thali thread

Where it began

Thirukalyanam means holy wedding. Legend says Meenakshi was born to the Pandya king Malayadhwaja and his queen as an answer to their prayers, and grew up to be a brave warrior queen who ruled Madurai.

On a campaign she reached Mount Kailash and met Shiva. The story tells that she knew at once he was her husband. Shiva came to Madurai as Sundareswarar and married her, with Vishnu giving the bride away.

Meenakshi then crowned is believed to rule Madurai for part of the year, which is why the festival begins with her coronation before the wedding.

A tower of the Meenakshi temple in an early photographMadurai, Tamil Nadu

How it grew over time

  1. Ancient times

    Madurai, the Pandya capital, is praised in old Tamil poems as a city of the goddess.

  2. Nayak period

    The temple was greatly enlarged with its tall towers and halls in the 16th and 17th centuries.

  3. Temple tradition

    The wedding became the high point of the Chithirai festival, followed by the car festival.

  4. Today

    The wedding is shown on big screens around the temple and watched by people far away.

How it is celebrated in different places

  • Meenakshi Amman Temple

    The wedding takes place in a decorated hall inside the temple with music and chanting.

  • Madurai streets

    Homes and streets are lit, and people serve free food after the wedding.

  • Temples across Tamil Nadu

    Some Shiva temples hold their own wedding rites on the day.

  • Tamil temples abroad

    Temples in Malaysia and Singapore mark the wedding with special worship.

Meenakshi Thirukalyanam moments

The hall of a thousand pillars in the Meenakshi templeMadurai, Tamil Nadu
The thousand pillar hall in an old paintingMadurai, Tamil Nadu
A great Tamil temple tower in an early photographTamil Nadu

Meenakshi Thirukalyanam today

Married women watch the wedding and change the thread of their thali at the same moment, praying for a long married life. Families share a wedding feast, and the next day the temple cars roll around the Masi streets.

How people celebrate Meenakshi Thirukalyanam

  • The divine wedding at the Meenakshi Amman Temple
  • Married women renewing the thali thread
  • Wedding feast for devotees
  • Flowers, nadaswaram and temple music
  • Watching the ceremony live with family

How to wish well

  • Send wishes on the morning of the wedding day.
  • Blessings for married couples, families and long togetherness suit the day well.
  • "Meenakshi Thirukalyana Nalvazhthukal" is a simple Tamil greeting.

Questions about Meenakshi Thirukalyanam

When is Meenakshi Thirukalyanam?

On the tenth day of the Chithirai festival in Madurai, a few days before Chithra Pournami, in April or May. The date for each year is shown on this page; the temple announces the final schedule.

What is Meenakshi Thirukalyanam?

It is the celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.

Why do women change the thali thread on Thirukalyanam?

Married women renew the yellow thread of their thali on this day as a prayer for a long and happy marriage.

What happens after Meenakshi Thirukalyanam?

The temple car festival (therottam) follows the next day, and a few days later Lord Kallazhagar enters the Vaigai river on Chithra Pournami.

What do you say on Meenakshi Thirukalyanam?

Say "Blessed Meenakshi Thirukalyanam" or, in Tamil, "மீனாட்சி திருக்கல்யாண நல்வாழ்த்துகள்".

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