File:Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple street.jpg

English: The town of Madurai is ancient and one mentioned in Sangam era texts.[3] These are dated to be from the 1st to 4th century CE.[36] Some early Tamil texts call Madurai as Koodal, and these portray it as a capital and a temple town where every street radiated from the temple. Goddess Meenakshi is described as the divine ruler, who along with Shiva were the primary deities that the southern Tamil kingdoms such as the Pandya dynasty revered.[3] The early texts imply that a temple existed in Madurai by the mid 6th century.[25] In medieval literature and inscriptions, it is sometimes referred to as Kadambavanam (lit. "forest of Kadamba") or Velliambalam (lit. "silver hall" where Shiva danced). It was described to be the sangam of scholars, or a place where scholars meet. It is mentioned in the Tamil text Tiruvilayadalpuranam and the Sanskrit text Halasya Mahatmya.[37] It is one of the shrines of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams.