It
is not only the Indian Princes and wealthy men who donated jewellery to the temple but the
East India Company too have donated chain carrying 108 sovereigns. A Collector, Rous
Peter, who was ardent devotee of Goddess Meenakshi, donated a pair of golden stirrups out
of gratitude for his miraculous escape from attack by a furious elephant which he had
wounded.
Another attractive feature at Madurai for the pilgrim is the Tirumalai Naick's palace. The
whole construction has been declared by compete. Authorities to be the largest and most
attractive specimen of palace architecture existing anywhere south of a line drawn from
Bombay to Calcutta We have here a remarkable combination of Hindu, Mohammedan and Gothic
architectures. The District Gazetteer describes it as "consisting of a great open
courtyard 252 by 151, round which runs the roofed are of great beauty on tall stone
pillars 40, in height connected by foliated brick arches of much elegance of design
ornamented with Hindu design carved out in fine shell lime plaster which almost resembles
marble."
The throne room or Swarga Vilasam is beneath the 60- feet 'tomb An old manuscript says:
"These pavilions are so magnificently constructed that it may well be -said that in
no other country is there a court equal to them, by reason of their excellence, number,
extent, curious workman, ship, and great beauty." |
