City Planning of Madurai

BAP 312 SETTLEMENT DESIGN
City planning of
Madurai
Supreena Dash | Kanishka Pal | Ekta Dhiman | Richa Kumari
00506142019 00706142019 01106142019 03606142019
Madurai : City that never sleeps
Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

Madurai : Introduction
Athens of the East , City of Jasmine and City of four junctions
Madurai is one of the many temple towns in the state

which is named after the groves, clusters or forests
dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and
the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding
deity.
The word Madurai may be derived from Madhura

(sweetness) arising out of the divine nectar showered on
the city by the Hindu god Shiva from his matted hair.
The city is renowned for tourism, festivals and vibrant

cultural life in general and is considered to be the states
cultural capital. The rich and vibrant natural and cultural
landscape with different linguistic and cultural groups
coexisting together in its UNIQUE CUSTOMS,
TRADITIONS, AND ART FORMS make it a classical
example of an urban environment wherein diversity
becomes the source of strength rather than conflicts.
Madurai : Location
Madurai District is situated in the South of Tamil Nadu
state. It is bounded on the North by the districts of
Dindigul, Thiruchirapalli and on the East by Sivagangai
and on the West by Theni and South by Virudhunagar.
Geographical location :
North Latitude : Between 9°30.00 and 10°30.00
East Latitude : Between 77°00.00 and 78°30.00
Languages spoken :
Tamil, Telugu, Sourashtra, English, Hindi
Madurai : Climate
The climate here is tropical.
The summers are much rainier than the

winters in Madurai.. In Madurai, the average
annual temperature is 28.2 °C. In a year, the
rainfall is 849 mm .
May is the warmest month of the year. The

temperature in May averages 31.0 °C. The
lowest average temperatures in the year occur
in December, when it is around 24.6 °C.
Madurai are in the middle and the summers

are that easy to define.
The best time to visit are January, February,

March, September, November, December.
Madurai : History
Madurai has a long and well recorded history. Known as
the seat of the Pandyan dynasty.The city was also home
to the third and last tamil sangam between 300 BCE
and 200 CE.
After the sangam age, Madurai came under the rule of

Pandyas and eventually the Cholas dynasty in the 9th
century.After ruling for nearly 5 centuries, the city came
under the control of Delhi sultanate.
Destruction from vijaynagar empire led to another

independence in 1559 and a subsequent rule under the
Nayaks. Nayak rule ended in 1736. After exchanging
through several hands, East India Company took direct
control of Madurai in 1801 and brought under the
control of the madras presidency.
In 1837 the city expanded to accommodate the

population by demolishing the temple fortifications .
The city was constituted as a municipality in 1866
Evolution of Madurai city
6th century Prehistoric
Settlements
9th Century Settlements b/w

2 branches of vaigai
Fortified
City plan around
temple
4 main streets
1372 Captured by
Vijaynagar
Divided into 72
divisions
1559 Nayak Dynasty
Three major
communities
migrated
1837 Under british rule

Demolition of fort
wall.
Headquarters for
south zone.
1875 Railway industry
development
Migration from rural
communities.
1875-1940 Core remained

dense
Tradition houses +
Colonial arches
Palaces =
Administrative
offices
After
Phenomenal urban
Independence growth
Core city- BUsiness
Headquarters of
region.
Layout of the city
Madurai's old city is thought to have been created according to the Rajdhani plan, as detailed in
Manasara, one of the Silpasastra, and features a fivefold concentric rectangle shape with the
Meenakshi- Sundareswarar Temple at the very centre point. The city was well-planned, with
bazaars and numerous wide lanes lined with lofty and elegant houses on both sides. The city
was developed using a circular street design around the temple complex as the main point.
There is a distinct demarcation in the city as Old and New city,

North and South city.
Street planning
The principal roadways were formed by
the streets concentric to the temple
complex, including Chithirai Streets, Avani
Moola Streets, and Masi Streets. The
streets that follow are perpendicular to
the ones that came before them and
lead to the temple entrances. The
developments along and beyond these
roadways follow an erratic pattern. A
distinct street layout was used, with the
width of the streets diminishing as they
branched out, culminating in stone-paved
streets and alleys as narrow as 0.60 m in
certain places. The fort walls encircled
the whole city, which was ringed by a
moat. The fort walls have been
demolished, and the moat has been filled
up to make the present-day Veli Streets.
Settlement planning
Madurai's settlement pattern is

based on a historic system of
town planning based on caste
and occupational hierarchies.
The map depicts the current
settlement pattern and its
relationship to the historical town
planning system. The ancient
south Indian temple towns are
planned with the temple
complex in the centre and
concentric rectangular patterns
of streets surrounding it. This
may also be found in another
southern temple town,
Srirangam.
In Madurai,
Meenakshi Amman
Temple is at the
center. Royal
Palaces, Brahmins
and Priests at the
first concentric
rectangle in Chithirai
street. Traders,
Kishatriyas and
Vaishnavaites on the
second rectangle in
Avani street. The
lower caste Sudras
and immigrants
zoarashitrains in the
third rectangle in
Masi street.
Meenakshi Temple
The Meenakshi Temple is the physical centre
of Madurai as well as the economic , mythical
and spiritual heart
.
Two principal sanctuaries (accessible only by
Hindus) sit at the center of the temple
complex.Fronting each sanctuary is a
mandapa (a pillared, porch-like structure)
that pilgrims pass through as they make their
way to the garbhagriha.
At the south end of the complex is the

Golden Lily Tank, which is used by believers
for ritual bathing.The northeast corner of the
complex is occupied by the Thousand Pillar
Hall, a vast, ornate mandapa.
There are fourteen gopuras roughly oriented

to the cardinal directions and flanking either
the temple of Meenakshi or Sundareswarar,
or the entire walled compound.
SWOT
Strengths
Conservation- The city is a unique example of a Mandala concept in ancient planning systems.
The city has been recognised as a historic site under the JnNURM system. The respect factor is
well-known throughout the city (pilgrimage tourism).
Economic Prospects- With a daily floating population of approximately 2.5 million people, the city
is also the area's commercial and official centre. According to Census 2001, the urban workforce
participation rate (WPR) (percentage of main and marginal employees to total population) is 34.18
percent. (This includes 1.35 percent of marginal employees.) Over 92 percent of the labour force is
employed in the tertiary sector (tourism and related industries).
Weaknesses
Conservation- The lack of an information basis for cultural assets and historical layers makes
maintaining heritage properties extremely challenging. Another major source of cultural
property degradation is a lack of knowledge of its existence.
Urban environment- River Vaigai, Girudumal River, and other city water channels are
deteriorating. Non-compatible uses such as wholesale vegetable markets, hardware stores,
sanitary products, and so on are located inside the historic area. These activities draw a greater
number of automobiles into the historic neighbourhood.
SWOT
Opportunities
Tourism and Economic perspectives- With solid connections and a high literacy rate, the region
can attract more investors and tourists. Local arts from throughout the region can be presented in
order to attract both tourists and locals. Because of its legacy and culture, it has the potential to
draw a large number of tourists. Many educational institutions in the region have high literacy
rates.
Proposed projects in pipeline- Under the JnNURM programme, the city is implementing reforms
such as wholesale market shifts, E Governance, and other initiatives. The projects in BSUP vividly
demonstrate the city's unemployment rate. The heritage aspects/strengths can be used as a lever
for the people's rejuvenation.
Threats
Conservation- The failure to repair and maintain heritage buildings can result in the fast
degradation of the built fabric in the central city. Continued neglect of history might also result in
a loss of tourism earnings.
References
Urban Form of Madurai – Urban Journal (wordpress.com)

TEMPLE TOWN - Madurai and Omkareshwar, India (slideshare.net)
Urban History: Case of Madurai by Monjima Sen - Issuu
Study of city evolution- temple town Madurai (slideshare.net)

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BAP 312 SETTLEMENT DESIGN

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

Madurai is one of the many temple towns in the state

The word Madurai may be derived from Madhura

The city is renowned for tourism, festivals and vibrant

state. It is bounded on the North by the districts of

Dindigul, Thiruchirapalli and on the East by Sivagangai

and on the West by Theni and South by Virudhunagar.

North Latitude : Between 9°30.00 and 10°30.00

East Latitude : Between 77°00.00 and 78°30.00

The climate here is tropical.

The summers are much rainier than the

May is the warmest month of the year. The

Madurai are in the middle and the summers

The best time to visit are January, February,

After the sangam age, Madurai came under the rule of

Destruction from vijaynagar empire led to another

In 1837 the city expanded to accommodate the

9th Century Settlements b/w

1837 Under british rule

1875-1940 Core remained

There is a distinct demarcation in the city as Old and New city,

Madurai's settlement pattern is

At the south end of the complex is the

There are fourteen gopuras roughly oriented

Urban Form of Madurai – Urban Journal (wordpress.com)

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