Madurai is Known as the Athens of the East, Madurai, the second largest city in Tamil Nadu is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai. An ancient city, more than 2,500 years old and has a rich cultural heritage and history.Madurai is believed to have been built by the Pandyan King Kulasekara in the 6th century BC. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial center even as early as 550 AD. Madurai was the capital city for the great Pandya kings.

During the rule of the Nayaks, the bulk of the Meenakshi temple was built, the main attraction for visitors, today. Madurai also became the cultural center of the Tamil people. Madurai passed on to the East India Company in 1781, and in 1840, the Company razed the fort which had previously surrounded the city, and filled in the moat, constructed the veli streets and expanded the city. Madurai - is Tamil Nadu's most happening cultural arena. Today, Madurai is the thriving pulse of Tamil Nadu industrial growth.