Meenakshi |
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Goddess Meenakshi is the wife of Lord Sundareswara. She symbolizes power or Shakthi. She also is thought of as symbolizing Prakriti or nature. Meenakshi was first known as Thadathagai and is said to have appeared from a sacrificial fire to become the daughter of King Malayadwaja and Queen Kanchanamala. After Her marriage to Lord Sundareswara She was named Meenakshi. Her name was chosen because She protects Her progeny through Her merciful glances, like fish, guarding their eggs. The vigraha of Goddess Meenakshi is four and one-half feet tall, and placed on a pedestal one foot high. Like the other major vigrahas at the temple, Hers was carved of a special black granite from southern India. Artisans from a school in Madras established for the purpose of creating Hindu temple sculpture carved all the major black granite murthis seen in the temple except for that of Venkateshwara. The Divine Mother Sakti has many different names, based on the particular aspect of herself which She manifests. From the third element fire, Sakti manifested herself at the request of the Pandya queen and became Meenakshi, the presiding deity of Meenakshi Temple at Madurai,India and in Pearland, Texas. Worship of God as Divine Mother is one of the greatest contributions of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) to mankind. . |
