Madurai is a city and a municipal corporation with a population of 1.3 million people. 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

Madurai is a city of hoary antiquity. 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.

Tamil sources themselves confirm the antiquity of the city. 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.

The Classical Connection

In the early centuries of Christ there existed voluminous sea-trade between the lands of the Mediterranean, most notably with 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. 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.

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 mounumentalism can be attributed to the medieval Vijayanagara-Nayaka Kings who embellished the original structures with numerous prakaras (circumabulatory 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 in 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 Tirumalai Nayaka 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 Thirukural.

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 Minakshi's brother, officiating her marriage with Sundareswara (Shiva whose name here coincidently 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 Minakshi 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.

Tamil is the lingua franca of Madurai and is understood by almost everyone. Tamil spoken in Madurai is relatively pure, and devoid of influences from other languages. The Sourashtra language is spoken by members of the transmigrant Sourashtra community which maintains a significant presence in the city. Other languages such as Telugu, Urudu and Hindi are also spoken by few migrants in the city. English is understood by almost all educated citizens most of which are youthful.

People and culture

The people of Madurai are amicable, hospitable, and deeply respect and value their traditions. Though Salwar Kameez, a North-Indian ethnic 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.

Madurai is famous for the Jil Jil Jigarthanda, Paruthi Pal, and sugar cane juice. 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.

Madurai is also well known for its fragrant Jasmine flowers. Jasmine is known as Malli or Malligai in Tamil. Madurai Malli is an important horticultural produce. The buds are transported every day to major cities in India, like Mumbai.

City architecture

The City of Madurai was originally built around the Meenakshi temple.^[6][7][8] 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. 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.

Transport

Madurai is well connected by air, rail and road. The railway station is one of the busiest in India, with trains from every major city in India, and has computerized reservation counters. Madurai Division has repeatedly got the award for best maintained station in Southern Railway.

Madurai has five bus stands, which cater to the needs of the people: Central Bus terminus at Maattuthavani (North), Palanganatham (South), Arapalayam (West), Periyar (Central) and Anna Bus stand (East). The major bus stand is at Maattuthavani, from where many buses 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 India.

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 major airline operators.

Education

Madurai is home to some of India's oldest institutions including the Thiagarajar College of Arts and Science in Madurai, American and Madura Colleges. The city has a Medical College, Madurai Medical College (1954), an Agricultural College and a Law College. 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.

Madurai is also home to Lady Doak College (1948), which is the oldest college for women in south India. The undergraduate, postgraduate and research college offers degrees in Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Business Management Studies and Information Technology. Fatima College which is located near Koodal Nagar is also a well known college for women.

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 SACS MAVMM Engineering college, azhagar koil, Sethu Institute of Technology, K.L.N College Of Engineering (1994), the Yadava College of Arts & Science in Natham Road, Raja College of Engineering and Technology (1995), Vickram College of Engineering, PTR College of Engineering, the Kamaraj College of Engineering & Technology in Kaligudi.

Schools in Madurai are either run by the Tamil Nadu Government or are run privately. The medium of education is English in private schools while both English and Tamil mediums are available in Government run schools. The Sethupathi Higher Secondary School is over 100 years old. Subramanya Bharathi, the famous Tamil poet, was a teacher in this school. The OCPM Girls Higher Secondary School is over 200 years old.

Economy

Madurai's economy was chiefly agrarian. 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.

Present problems

Unlike many other historical cities that have been reduced to small towns, hamlets and ruins in the modern age, Madurai still remains a "city" and a major regional hub of commerce. However, it is a concerning fact that it has failed to achieve the progress it should have and its city ranking has sunk in the past few decades. Not only has it failed to attract new domestic and foreign investments, but it has also failed to capitalize on its inherent strengths.Though there is no dearth of talent in Madurai, thanks to the Engineering and Science colleges in the city, it has not been able to retain the pool of qualified professionals. During the years following the Information Technology boom that swept across the country, the city saw an exodus of professionals to other urban centers, such as Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai, which offered them better opportunities. Many blame the state government for limiting industrial development to northern Tamil Nadu, Chennai and its adjacent districts in particular, and cite this as the reason southern Tamil Nadu is industrially underdeveloped. While this claim may not be totally invalid, the main reason Madurai is industrially underdeveloped lies in the fact that there is a definite lack of initiative and poor self-esteem amongst the local populace. The elite and professionals who ought to guide their fellow citizens into the new economy shrug away from their responsibilities, and worse, move to other cities looking for greener pastures and settle down there.

IT industry

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" that is equipped with latest software, hardware and networking technologies.

The district administration has identified two sites, one near the Madurai Kamaraj University at Nagamalai 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 16.02 hectares at Kinnimangalam (near Madurai Kamaraj University) to ELCOT. The Madurai Corporation has identified 29.93 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.

Now that I have given the title "I ...   Me ....   Myself.......", I wonder where to start? But, before I start let me tell you one quick quote.

“Life is like an Elevator. Sometimes it goes Up & Sometimes it goes down. It doesn’t matter whether you go up or Down, What does matter is whether you are idle or moving. Keep Moving”

SPMHS School - this is where I started my schooling & completed Matric cum Higher secondary. Started my schooling with A+ grade and ended up with a comment "Average Guy". I always had this feeling that I am one of the best. I never knew whether it did any good to me. Every time the results came, I remained the best only in my feeling and varied a lot on reality. Passed out Matric with 80 % and still continued with my so called "One of the Best" feelings. Hated Maths completely, yet loved to become an engineer. Computer Science Engg - My goal remained clear, but the way to achieve it never appeared, not even in my best visibility. Finally I passed out Higher Secondary with 76 %. On getting the results, I started filling out the application forms for pursuing BCA/BSc, never having the guts to ask my dad to try for Engg. That timeframe turned out to be the best one of my life. My Dad decided that I must pursue Engg no matter what ever happens. The Elevator started going up.

We spent nights in the terrace discussing on the financial arrangements to be made. Dad's friends arranged for an Educational Loan and his brothers helped us to overcome the financial crisis. Having sorted out the first problem, we got ready to face the next. Money is ready, but will there be colleges for the 211.25 /300 Cut off I have scored? Damn. The elevator started going down.

I got my counseling call exactly 43 days after the first Bookworm of Tamil Nadu got his / her call. Loaded with confidence I walked into the counseling room @ Anna University. My Dad had already made his decisions on what course should I pursue, that too in which college & whether to stay in Hostel or remain a Day Scholar. When I was offered the remains of what the book worms had eaten up, I realized what watching TV and playing cricket without studies would cost you? Dad was clear. Packing started for me to pursue Engg @ Sethu Institute of Technology, Madurai. Madurai ? ? ? Damn…! ! ! The elevator started going down.

First day @ SIT, that is how we used to call our college. The first look at the college premises gave me a picture that my life is doomed. I started missing Madras – Now Chennai, Home & Friends. Luckily I got myself into a close friends circle. Guys in college started to visualize me as though I am an alien. Later I found the reason for that. It was not my appearance, but the place where I hailed from. As far as my college in Madurai was concerned, to be precise, as far as my batch guys were concerned, there are 2 qualities which will make you an alien.

Quality 1: Speak in English.

Quality 2: Speak to girls.

I managed to be refrained from both these activities for the full 4 years. At least the second one.

I joined college as a second batch – Payment Seat. The first batch was full of book worms. First time in my life, I was along with equals, Payment seat guys. I was relieved. The elevator started going up.

Madurai turned out to be more fascinating than Chennai. Meenakshi temple, Theppakulam, Manja Virattu, Azhagar kovil etc were the places I visited often. Movies were always one more stuff which would fascinate me at any given point of time. I made some records for seeing the film Kaadhal Konden & Minnale for the umpteenth time. I visited almost every theater in Madurai. Days were moving without much fuss and with utmost fun. All of a sudden, I was taken by surprise by the announcement made by my HOD – ECE. Yes….. I was denied a CS seat in counseling. Campus interviews will start from next Monday. It was now I realized that I was no more with equals. Almost everyone had an extra cource completed. What to do? CCNA. That was the answer I got from one of my friends. 45 days and I turned out to be a CCNA. The elevator started going up.

3   – Total campus interviews attended by me.

3   – Total failures in campus interviews.

There were more interviews, but I simply neglected them. When my dad asked the reason, I responded that I am not interested in Call Center kind of a job. 

My status remained the same in my feelings & reality. One of the best in the former & Average guy in the later. Came back to Chennai on May 29^th 2004 with hopes to acquire a job and dreams to acquire a flat & car.

3 – Number of interviews I attended before getting acquainted with my current employer.

The first one turned out to be a Marketing specialist. This opportunity was advertised in the daily newspaper and not in the supplementary dedicated for opportunities. I expected a small crowd to turn up for the interview. I reached the company by 1115 Hrs 45 minutes before the scheduled time. This time got it right. I was the only person for the position. My job was to sell Books. I attended the so called Interview. I was offered the job and requested to join the very next day.

I declined. My first interview was a disaster.

Now comes the second one. It was a training organization. It required Professionals. I applied for the same and was given a chance. I cleared the written test. When I attended the personal interview, I was told that I have performed the written test very well. I was also told that the decision has been made to recruit me. Now came the jolt out of nowhere. They demanded me a ransom 25,000 rupees to complete the cource and get selected to one of the firms like IBM, Infosys, TCS etc. For the first time in my life I gave a little thought about the environment. It was a 20 x 30 foot building with no proper finishing. One more jolt struck me, “This is fake”. I declined. The elevator started going down… this time into deep shit.

By this time I had been @ home without a job for more than one and half months. Yes that is right! This “one of the best FEELING” made me think as though I was jobless for decades. Again it was my Dad who came to my rescue. One of his friends was working as a HOD in a reputed Organizations dealing with Software Development. I was called for a screening test. Two guys screened my networking skills which went on for about 20 minutes. The interview was over and I was promised the best from my dad’s friend.

Another 10 days passed by. All of a sudden, on a sleepy afternoon, I got a call from the company Tombshell Technologies. They gave me the address and asked me to appear for an interview the same day by 1730 Hrs. The elevator was going up.

I refreshed my networking skills and walked into the address given by the company. I was told that the company operated in the 8^th floor of Century Plaza, Teynampet. I scanned the whole building searching for Tombshell Technologies, but in vain. I was the first person to fail in an interview without even attending it. The elevator was going down.

I received a call from the company one more time the next day. They enquired me as to why I did not appear for the interview. I told them my scanning process and bang came the truth. It was not Tombshell technologies, but Softcell Technologies. I begged for their pardon as though my entire life depended on that. As a matter of fact, it did. I was given one more chance. This time I spotted the company. I was asked to wait in the reception for 20 minutes. At 1807 Hrs, I was asked to meet Mr. Prem in the discussion room of the company. I was shivering in cold. It was a 6 x 3 room with AC tuned around 16 'c. Mr. Prem turned out to be a man in his 20s. I tried to guess his attitude from his expressions and appearance, but in vain. I was asked exactly 7 questions, 2 of which I managed. The interview lasted 17 minutes. But it appeared to me as 17 weeks. I was bowled out without scoring. My confidence level was shattered from 100 % to 10 %. First time in my life I asked myself, "Am I one of the best?" Mr. Prem after finishing the interview, made me feel comfortable by enquiring about my family, my interests & my expectations. I got the message that they would get back to me. First time in life, the elevator was idle.

After a week I got a call from Softcell Technologies, requesting me to join within a week. The elevator started going up. It has never gone down since then.

I owe everything I am today to just 2 persons. One is my dad. Another one is my company. I never expected whatever I have today so fast. I was not the best student, I never was a best son, but still I am with the best persons . May be this is what they call as L U C K .