Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
The temple of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar in the middle of Madurai, administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu government. Its administrator publishes opening from 5:00 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The three and a half hour afternoon closure is the single most useful fact on this page, because midday is when most visitors have time and the temple does not.
Also searched for as Meenakshi Temple, Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.
Sources checked 1 September 2026
The temple in facts
Background rather than schedule. None of it changes week to week, which is why it sits here while the hours sit on their own page with the date they were read.
| Fact | What is published |
|---|---|
| DeitiesWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva |
| WhereWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Madurai, Tamil Nadu |
| Administered byWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| GopuramsWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Fourteen in total: four nine-storey, one seven-storey, five five-storey and two three-storey |
| Tallest towerWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | The southern gopuram, at 170 ft (52 m), built in the late sixteenth century |
| Main festivalWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, celebrated over 15 days in the month of Chithirai |
| Nightly ritualWikipedia, Meenakshi Temple | Metallic footprints representing Shiva are carried in a palanquin to Meenakshi's chamber every evening |
Meenakshi Amman timings, in outline
Two windows with a long afternoon closure between them, published by the state department that administers the temple.
What this page does not know
Listed rather than quietly omitted, so you can see the shape of the gap before you plan around it. Every one of these is something another page would happily fill in with a plausible answer.
- Individual pooja and abhishekam times. The administrator publishes the opening windows only.
- The dress code. Nothing is published on the administrator's page, and this site will not import a rule the temple has not stated.
- Whether phones, cameras and bags are permitted inside, and where they are deposited.
- Ticket prices for any special darshan queue.
- Whether the Kumbhabishegam closure noted on the administrator's page is current.
- How much the timings actually shift during the Chithirai festival.
If you have stood at this gate recently and can fill one of these in, especially with a photograph of a notice board or a link to an official announcement, send it. It is checked against the temple and published with a new date.
Questions about visiting
Answered from what the temple publishes, with the gaps left as gaps.
What are the Meenakshi Amman Temple timings?
Its administrator publishes 5:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The three and a half hours between those windows are a stated closure, not a quiet period.
Is the temple closed in the afternoon?
Yes, and explicitly so. The administrator states that from 12.30 P.M. to 4.00 P.M. the temple will be kept closed, and that it opens again at 4.00 PM for darshan.
Who administers the temple?
The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The timings on this page come from that department's own site rather than from a travel page.
Are pooja times published?
No. The administrator publishes the two opening windows and nothing more granular, so this page does not print a pooja schedule. Any site showing one is using a source this page has not verified.
Do the timings change during festivals?
The administrator states that during festival time the timings of the daily poojas are changeable. It does not say by how much, and this site has not verified festival schedules.
What is the dress code?
Not published by the administrator. That is not the same as there being none. Dress modestly as you would at any large South Indian temple, and expect footwear to be removed.
Can I take my phone or camera inside?
Not verified. The administrator publishes no rule on phones, cameras or bags, so expect a restriction and check at the entrance rather than assuming either way.
How many gopurams does the temple have?
Fourteen: four nine-storey, one seven-storey, five five-storey and two three-storey. The tallest is the southern gopuram at 170 feet, about 52 metres, built in the late sixteenth century.
What is the temple's main festival?
Meenakshi Tirukalyanam, the divine wedding, celebrated over fifteen days in the Tamil month of Chithirai. It is the most attended festival of the temple's year.
What is the nightly ceremony?
Metallic footprints representing Shiva are carried in a palanquin to Meenakshi's chamber every evening, and morning rituals wake the divine couple. It is a fixed part of the temple's day rather than an occasional event.
Is the temple ever closed for ceremonies?
The administrator's page has carried a notice that services were temporarily closed in view of the Kumbhabishegam ceremony. Whether that notice is current has not been verified, which makes checking before travelling worthwhile.
Can I rely on these timings?
They are the administrator's own published hours, which is the best source that exists. They are also only three lines long, so for anything more precise than open or closed, telephone the temple before a long journey.
Need the timings in full?
The timings page carries the whole published schedule, block by block, and what to check before you travel.