Madurai is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Indian peninsula.It is an ancient and prestigious city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, situated on the banks of the River Vaigai in Madurai district.
The city is widely known as the Temple City,and is often also referred to as City of four junctions, Cultural center of Tamil Nadu,City of Jasmine,Sleepless city, Athens of the East and The City of Festivals.It is the third largest (was second largest from its origin till 2001) city by population in Tamil Nadu and second largest by area.
Madurai was the capital city of ancient Southern civilization. Madurai's cultural heritage goes back 2,500 years, and the city has been an important commercial center and has conducted trade as far as Rome and Greece since as early as 550 BCE.
Madurai is located in South India and is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. The climatic conditions of the place are typical to its location. Down south, the climate is usually hot and sultry. The city is situated on the bank of the River Vaigai, which contributes to its weather. Madurai receives plenty of rainfall throughout the year, which provides the much needed respite from the heat. So those of you who want to experience the rich cultural and historical galore with gentle cooling showers of the rain, head on; Madurai is waiting for you.
Madurai usually has a hot and dry climate. In the summers the weather is quite hot. Therefore it can be a bit difficult to enjoy the place completely. Though, during the winter months the weather is pleasant. It is neither too hot nor too cold. So the best time to visit Madurai is from October to March. But still, on an average the city can be visited throughout the year as it gets uniform rainfall all the year round. Even if the weather is a bit hot in the summers, you never know when rain might cool you up. Thus, tourists flock Madurai round the year.
Rail
The Madurai Junction is one of the busiest in the country and has computerized reservation counters. Madurai division has repeatedly received the award for being the best-maintained station in the Southern Railway.The railway station code for Madurai junction is MDU.It is connected to most major Indian cities and towns.
Madurai Railway Division is the second largest revenue generating division in Tamil Nadu next only to Chennai.
As the TN's second largest City strucks daily with a single railway terminal unable to handle the heavy Passenger Crowds, Southern Railway has come-up with a plan of extension & modification of the City Junction. Works are going on in the same at fast pace.
The Railway Stations in Madurai area are :
Madurai Junction, Koodal Nagar, Samayanallur,Sholavandan, Vadipatti, East Madurai, Tirupuvanam, Thiruparankundram, Tirumangalam, Chekanoorani, Usilampatti etc.
Road
Madurai has several major bus stands: Madurai Integrated Bus Terminus at Mattuthavani,Palanganatham,Arappalayam,Periyar and Anna Bus stand. From MIBT, many buses to locations all over the south India operate round the clock. From Arapalayam bus stand, buses to places of western Tamil Nadu like Theni, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem operate and Periyar bus stand is where only city buses and private buses to major cities operate. Anna bus stand and Palanganatham are not in operation currently.
Apart fom city buses, three-wheeled, referred to as autos, are available for travel with in the city. MIBT has pre-paid auto counter where commuters can pay fixed auto-fare depends on destination and hire.
Madurai is connected by the following major National Highways:
NH 7 : (North-south Corridor National Highway System) Bangalore – Salem – Dindigul – Madurai – Tirunelveli – Kanyakumari
NH 45B : Trichy – Madurai – Thoothukudi
NH 49 : Madurai – Rameswaram
NH 49 Extn : Madurai – Theni – Bodi – Kochi
Bridges have been constructed across the Vaigai river to connect Madurai at various points. Flyovers have been constructed within the city to overcome traffic congestion. Four lane national highways to Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Bangalore make Madurai well-connected by road.
Air
Madurai Airport is located at 12 kilometers from Madurai city and it offers flights to major cities in southern,western and north India. Madurai airport has handled 3 lakhs passengers between the period Jan 2009 to Oct 2009.Spice Jet, Jet Air Ways, Kingfisher Airlines, Air India operates flights from and to Madurai. Flight services to Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai are available at Madurai Airport. International connectivity is expected shortly. Madurai Airport's state-of- the-art well built integrated terminal of 17,560 Sq.ms is open for Traffic. Recently the finance ministry has approved unloading and loading of only export and import baggage.This is a great step as this will soon lead to start of international passenger traffic.
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