One Day Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani Trip by Cab
Madurai located at a distance of 206 km from Coimbatore is flocked with tourists to witness its rich history and tradition. Board our one day Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani Tour for an enthralling trip through the marvellous temples of Madurai and Palani the major abode of Murugan.
Travelling through Madurai and Palani is like travelling through a land rich in history and tradition. Madurai is the one of the key pilgrimage centres of Tamil Nadu as it is here that Lord Shiva as Sundareswara and goddess Parvati as Meenakshi got married.
Lord Shiva performed 64 Thiruvilayadal in this centuries old city. Madurai’s most treasured ancient temple, the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple has been nominated for the Seven Wonders of the World. Temples of Madurai are the finest examples of Hindu culture and well connected with local festivals for which the holy city is flocked with devotees from various parts of the state.
What to Expect
Embark on this one day Madurai and Palani tour from Coimbatore to visit these famous towns steeped in history and unique culture. Walk through the divine temples and feel the serenity and divinity of the most revered places of worship.
Head off for a memorable voyage with the most ancient Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple before visiting the spectacular Thirumalai Nayak palace. Learn about the freedom struggle and Mahatma Gandhi with the visit to the Gandhi Memorial Museum.
Pay your obeisance to Lord Murugan at the Thiruparankundram temple and Lord Vishnu at the Alagar Koil. Feel the divinity at the third abode of Lord Muruga at Palani before calling off the one day Madurai and Palani tour.
Full-day Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani Local Sightseeing Tour
Duration: 10 to 14 hours
Tour by Private Cab (not shared with others)
Pickup & Drop: Coimbatore Hotel / Home
Places Covered: Meenakshi Amman Temple, Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Gandhi Memorial Museum, Mariamman Teppakulam, Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple, Azhagar Kovil, Palani Temple.
Trip Itinerary
Pickup from your Home / Hotel in Coimbatore at 6:00 AM
| S.No | Sightseeing Place | Recommended Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meenakshi Amman Temple | 120 minutes |
| 2 | Thirumalai Nayak Palace | 90 minutes |
| 3 | Gandhi Memorial Museum | 60 minutes |
| 4 | Mariamman Teppakulam | 60 minutes |
| 5 | Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple | 60 minutes |
| 6 | Azhagar Kovil | 40 minutes |
| 7 | Palani Temple | 60 minutes |
Drop back at your Home / Hotel in Coimbatore by 11:00 PM
Places to visit in Madurai and Palani in one day by private car from Coimbatore
1. Meenakshi Amman Temple
Our one day Madurai and Palani tour begins with the visit to the most treasured temple of Madurai, the Meenakshi Amman Koil. Legends state that Lord Indra had built the temple to enshrine the swayambu lingam he had found when he came to Madurai. Striking architecture and intricate carvings of the temple astounds visitors.
It has four Rajagopuram facing the four directions at the entrances greeting the visitors to witness the stunning architecture and worship goddess Meenakshi. Tallest among them is the Rajagopuram at the south gateway with the height of 160.9 feet which is astonishingly decorated with 1511 mythological figures.
The ancient temple dedicated to Lord Sundareswara and goddess Meenakshi is built over an area of 45 acres. Beautifully sculptured five towers above the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shiva and three above the sanctum sanctorum of goddess Meenakshi along with the two golden towers adorns the temple.
The exquisite thousand pillared hall called Aayiram Kaal Mandapam showcases the architectural splendour. Idol of Nataraja covered with silver leaves in the Velliambalam hall is another major attraction. Lord Ganesha in the form of Mukurthi Vinayagar is set on the way to Sundareswarar shrine.
Potramarai Kulam, which means Golden Lotus Tank is the temple tank spread on an area of 1 acre and believed to be older than the temple. Adhi Theertham, Sivaganga and Uthama Theertham are the other names designated to the holy pond which holds its significance of being created by Lord Shiva and forms the place of origin of the famous moral Tamil text called Thirukkural. Around 1330 kurals are inscribed on the marbles on the southern side of the tank.
Must see \ Things to do: Kambatadi Mandapam that houses the Nandi
2. Thirumalai Nayak Palace
An inspiring sightseeing spot of the one day Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani tour is the glorious Thirumalai Nayak Palace built by King Thirumalai Nayak in 1636 AD. Situated at a short distance of 2km from Meenakshi Amman Temple, it has been the living palace of the king Thirumalai.
Famed for its architectural splendour it has been capturing the imagination of travellers. With our Madurai one day tour package, enjoy a magical stroll through the huge courtyard spread over 3900 sq m. Striking gigantic pillars with a height of 82 feet and width of 19 feet embrace the magnificent courtyard. Throne Chamber with an arcaded octagon covered with a 70 feet high dome awaits your exploration.
Witness the perfect blend of European, Dravidian and Islamic styles of architecture in the palace that is divided into two parts called the Swarga Vilasam and Ranga Vilasam. King Thirumalai had built the temple under the supervision of an Indian architect.
Light and sound shows giving an insight into the life of King Thirumalai Nayak held in both English and Tamil is a key attraction of the palace. The palace has been declared as a national monument post Independence. King Thirumalai Nayak’s grandson had destroyed large part of the palace and as such what exists today is only one fourth of the original palace.
Must see \ Things to do: Majestic circular pillars
3. Gandhi Memorial Museum
Delve into the world of freedom struggle at the Gandhi Memorial Museum with the one day Madurai and Palani tour by private cab.
In 1921 Gandhiji visited Madurai when he gave away his traditional attire and adopted loincloth as a part of his new dress. He had been to Madurai five times and in 1946 visited Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple with Harijans supporting the entry of Harijans into the bigger temples.
The words penned by him in the temple’s visitor’s book are well preserved in the museum. Associating his connection with the ancient city, the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi built the Gandhi museum in Madurai.
Tamil Nadu Government had gifted the Tammakum Palace of Rani Mangammal with 13 acres of land for this purpose. One of the significant Gandhi Sangrahalaya of India was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 15 April 1959.
Visit the special exhibition of India Fights for Freedom and step back through time into the history of freedom movement showcased through 265 illustrations.
Get fascinating insights into Gandhiji’s life at the relics and replicas section of the museum which displays more than 100 artefacts used by Gandhiji. Blood stained dhoti that Bapuji wore at the time of assassination is preserved in this section in a vacuum glass box.
The Pictorial Gallery presents the visual biography of the father of the nation through a rich collection of 124 rare photographs from the various phases of his life. It also contains paintings manuscripts, quotations, photos, sculptures and valuable copies of his letters and his renderings.
Letters includes the one written to Narayana Satsangi of Devakottai, congratulatory message to freedom fighter and poet Subramania Bharti and a letter to Adolf Hitler addressing him as “Dear Friend”. Admire the collection of handicrafts from the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
Take a close look at the exhibits of village industries displayed in the Khadi and Village industries section. An open theatre with a capacity of accommodating 8000 people is located in the south wing of the museum.
Must see \ Things to do: The library with the rich collection of books on and by Gandhiji
4. Mariamman Teppakulam
Head off for another significant attraction of the 2500 years old city with the one day sightseeing Madurai and Palani tour, the Mariamman Teppakulam Temple. Goddess of rain, Mariamman is the presiding deity of this ancient temple which also has the idols of Lord Ganapathy under the peepal tree and goddess Pechiamman.
The main shrine has the statues of two dwarapalakas at the entrance. One of the largest temple tanks in South India, called the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is built near the temple by King Thirumalai Nayak. A beautiful Maiya Mandapam and temple of Lord Vinayagar is located in the centre of the tank.
Must see \ Things to do: Do visit the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam
5. Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple
The next stop of the one day Madurai and Palani tour from Coimbatore is the Thiruparankundram Murugan Koil the first temple of the Arupadaiveedu, the six abodes of Lord Muruga.
Get amazed with the views of the ancient rock cut temple that houses the idols of Lord Murugan, Shiva, Durga, Ganapathi and Vishnu. Lord Murugan appears in the sitting wedding form with Devyani.
Standing by his side are the idols of goddess Saraswathi and Savithri. Idols of Sun, Moon and Gandharvas above the idol of Lord Muruga grace the shrine. A distinct feature of the temple is that Lord Vishnu is set opposite to Lord Shiva.
Local legends state that Lord Murugan after having fought 6 battles against the demons killed the demon Surapadman in Thiruparankundram. He then married the daughter of Lord Indra, Devyani. Lord Shiva is worshipped as Parangirinathar and goddess as Avudai Nayaki.
Seven tiered Rajagopuram with a height of 150 feet at the entrance exudes admiration. The sacred temple was built by Pandya kings in the 6th century which had several brilliant enhancements done by Madurai Nayak kings.
Visitors would be delighted viewing the sculpted figures throughout the temple. Kambathadi Mandapam, Maha Mandapam, and Ardha Mandapam are interesting structures worth visiting.
Must see \ Things to do: Worship Lord Saneeswara
6. Azhagar Kovil
A great stopover of the one day Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani tour is the sacred Azhagar Koil dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Recognized as one of the distinguished 108 Divyadesams, the temple is located at a distance of 21 km from Madurai on the foothills of Azhagar hills. A five tiered brilliantly sculptured gopuram greets devotees to the temple spread over 2 acres.
The legendary temple has the idol of Lord Vishnu as goddess Meenakshi’s brother Azhagar and goddess Lakshmi as Kalyana Sundaravalli. A separate shrine has goddess Andal who is believed to have visited the temple from Srivilliputhur.
Pay obeisance to Lord Karuppasamy in the shrine located at the entrance of the temple. The golden Vimanam above the sanctum sanctorum called the Somachanda Vimanam enhances the sheer beauty of the temple.
Witness the stunning life-size statues of Narasimha, one holding the demon Hiranya while the other slaying him. The exquisite Kalyana Mandapam houses the noteworthy life-size images of Krishna and Garuda. Devotees take a bath in the holy spring called Noopura Gangai before visiting the temple. Puranas state that the temple was built by God Dharmadeva.
Must see \ Things to do: 2000 year old Sudarshana Chakra
7. Palani Temple
Visit another significant abode of Lord Muruga located in Palani over the Sivagiri hills. Constructed by Chera King, the iconic temple enshrines the navapashanam statue of Lord Muruga created by saint Bogar.
It is believed that the famous Siddha created the statue with the combination of nine poisonous substances which when mixed in right proportions proves to be a great medicine.
Devotees throng in to visit the grandeur of the temple set against the Palani and Kodaikanal hills in the backdrop. The main sanctum has an imposing golden Vimanam with beautiful sculptures of Lord Muruga.
It also has the shrines of Lord Shiva, goddess Parvati and sage Bogar. Take a close look at the beautiful sculptures and pillars in the Paaravel Mandapam and Navrang Mandapam.
Must see \ Things to do: Buy some panchamirtham
What is included
- Pick and drop from Hotel / Home in Coimbatore
- Cab for Coimbatore to Madurai and Palani sightseeing as per the above Itinerary
- Vehicle Parking Charges
- Toll-gate Charges if any
- Driver Batta
What is not included
- Entry Ticket Fee at tourist places in Coimbatore
- Breakfast, Lunch or any meal
- Lodging / Accommodation near Malampuzha or Athirappilly Waterfalls
- Vehicle beyond the mentioned time duration
- Vehicle beyond the designated tour route