THE TEMPLE TOWN - MADURAI

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 MADURAI
ATHENS OF THE EAST
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Madurai is administrative headquarters of Madurai District. The capital of the Pandyan
kingdom was initially Korkai, around 600 BCE and was later moved to Koodal ie, Madurai
during the reign of Nedunj Cheliyan. The district is bounded on the north by Dindigul
district on the east by Sivaganga on the west by Theni district and on the south by
Virthunagar District.

LOCATION 3
MADURAI , popularly known as the
Temple city, also called as ATHENS OF
THE EAST, City of Junction, City of
Jasmine, CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS and
City of four junctions. Madurai is third
major economic, industrial,
commercial, political centre and a
major transportation hub for the
southern Tamilnadu. The city is
renowned for tourism, festivals and
vibrant cultural life in general and is
considered to be the states cultural
capital.

The rich and vibrant natural and cultural landscape with different linguistic and
cultural groups coexisting together in its UNIQUE CUSTOMS, TRADITIONS,
AND ART FORMS make it a classical example of an urban environment wherein
diversity becomes the source of strength rather than conflicts.

INTRODUCTION 4
Madurai has a long and well recorded history. As early as the 3rd century BC, Megasthenes
visited, the city being referred to as "Methora". Madurai has been described as the seat of
the Pandyan Dynasty. The capital of the Pandyan kingdom was initially Korkai, around 600
BCE and was later moved to Koodal ie, Madurai during the reign of Nedunj Cheliyan. The
city was home to the third and last Tamil Sangam between 300 BCE and 200 CE.

Spatial growth pattern of the city 5

 1 Pandayan Time 12 century 2 Vijayanagara Time 16 century

3 Colonial Period 4 Present Situation

Evolution of city 6
Boundaries in Madurai 7
The old city of Madurai is considered to be designed according to the Rajdhani plan, described in
Manasara, one of the Shilpasastra, and has the fivefold concentric rectangular formation with Meenakshi-
Sundareshwara Temple at a very centre point. The city was a well planned one with bazaars and many
broad streets with high and luxurious mansions on both sides.
The city was built around the temple complex as the focal point with a combination of a
concentric street pattern.

TRADITIONAL PLANNING STRATEGIES 8

The streets concentric to the temple complex
the major streets viz., Chithirai

perpendicular to the above streets and lead

to the temple entrances.
The developments within and beyond these
streets are on an irregular pattern. A definite
hierarchy of street pattern was adopted with
the width of the Streets decreasing as they
branched out, ending up in stone paved
streets and lanes - the width of some being
just 0.60 m. The entire city was enclosed
within the fort walls and surrounded by a
moat. The fort walls have been razed down
and the moat filled up to form the present
day Veli Streets.

Street Pattern 9
The settlement pattern of Madurai is planned according to the ancient system of town
planning which is based on caste and occupational hierarchies. The map shows the present
settelemnt pattern and its relavance with the ancient town planning system. Ancient south
indian temple towns are designed by placing the temple complex at the centre with concentric
rectangle pattern of streets around. This can be seen in another southern temple town
srirangam also.
SETTLEMENT PATTERN 10
 In Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple is at the
center. Royal Palaces, Brahmins and Priests at
the first concentric rectangle.Traders, Kishatriyas
and Vaishnavaites on the second rectangle. The
lower caste Sudras and immigrants
zoarashitrains in the third rectangle.

Ancient Town Planning System 11

Central market 12
 SAREE
WAVI NG

STONE
SCULPTURES

Housing Typology – Arts And Craft 13

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Landuse 2011
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SMART CITY PROPOSALS
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SMART CITY PROPOSALS
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SMART CITY PROPOSALS
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SMART CITY PROPOSALS
THANK YOU !

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MADURAI