Minister launches Hindu Coffee Table Book on Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai

Minister S. Ramesh, N. Murali, Chairman Hindu Group Publishing Pvt. Ltd. and directors Nirmala Lakshman, N. Ravi and Rohit Ramesh at the coffee table book launch on Wednesday. | Photo credit: M. SRINATH

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister S. Ramesh on Wednesday launched a coffee table book titled The Goddess’s Realm: Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, published by The Hindu Group.

Mr. Ramesh said that after discussion with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, the government announced the setting up of historic virtual reality halls in prominent temples. This is to enrich the experience of visiting pilgrims and be in several languages. He appreciated The Hindu for publishing a comprehensive and informative book on the Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Temple, whose Kumbhabhishekam is scheduled for September 17.

The first copy of the book was given to N. Murali, Chairman of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited. N. Ravi, Director, Kasturi and Sons Limited; Nirmala Lakshman, Director and Publisher, The Hindu Group; Rohit Ramesh, Director; and LV Navaneeth, CEO were present.

With the temple’s kumbhabhishekam scheduled for September 17, The Hindu Group book was illustrated with more than 300 black and white and color photographs with 252 pages printed on matte art paper.

It covers a wide range of stories from the origin and development of the temple complex, its breathtaking art and architecture and series of magnificent mandapams to the various festivals, saints associated with the temple and the contribution of many rulers – Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara and Nayaka – in making the temple the iconic structure it is today.

Many of the articles have unusual topics: why the golden lotus tank in the temple has no fish, the story of Lord Nataraja dancing on his right leg, statues depicting crime and punishment, how Mahatma Gandhi appeared in the mural of the divine wedding of Goddess Meenakshi, the British collector devotion to the goddess who twice worships a drummer, who worshiped a granddaughter fan of peacock feathers during the great Chithirai festival and so on further on.

Prepared by former Frontline deputy editor TS Subramanian, the book also discusses why the temple attracts thousands of devotees from across India. and flourishing trade and commerce around it. Reports from Hindu archives also show the destruction of rare works of art and the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam in the fire. The book, which contains articles by several scholars, historians and epigraphists, is available for purchase at The Hindu Group’s online bookstore Publikace.thehindugroup.com. The cover price of this coffee table book is ₹2,999 and an introductory offer of 25% off is available for a limited time.

Published – 10 Sep 2026 0:58 IST