To
the west, in the midst of great tomb-shaped halls, is a square building of black stone,
inside which is a chamber mad, of ivory. In the centre of this is a jewelled throne on
which the king was accustomed to take his seat during the great Navaratri Festival,
surrounded by all his banners or ensigns of royalty and before which all king! were wont
to do homage. Unfortunately the palace is now used as a Court room of the District Judge,
and a number of other offices are housed in the palace. This does not show proper respect
to the edifice constructed for a different purpose. One can only bemoan the lack of
artistic sense and reverence for past among the moderns.
Teppakkulam is another beauty spot of Madurai. This is a tank measuring 1000 feet north to
south and 950 feet east to west, occupying an area almost exactly equivalent to that of
the Great Temple of Madurai. Tradition points to this spot as the place where the bricks
for the construction of Tirumalai Naicken's Palace were made. While digging earth for
temple bricks, a huge image of Ganapati was found. This image is now installed at the
entrance to the Sundareswara sanctum and popularly known as Mukkuruni Pillaiyar. The tank
is connected with the river Vaigai through a channel and it never dries up. |
