India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (191 page)

• Seeing it from above: Most of the souvenir shops in the vicinity of the temple will invite you to “come see temple view free only looking,” and once inside it’s quite hard to extricate yourself without purchasing something. The exception to this is
Meenakshi Treasures,
a government-recognized export house, on 30 North Chitrai St. (
0452-263-0986
). They also have lovely goods if you wish to browse.

Bounded by N., E., S., and W. Chitrai sts.
0452/234-4360.
www.maduraimeenakshi.org
. Admission Rs 50. Daily 5am–1pm and 4–10:30pm. Evening aarti 8:30pm. Thousand Pillar Museum: Rs 5. Daily 7am–8pm. No entrance to main sanctum for non-Hindus. Deposit shoes outside entrance.

WHERE TO STAY & DINE

There are plenty of places to stay in Madurai, and the best are reviewed below. Two others you may want to consider, both located north of the river, around 10 minutes’ drive from the temple, is the
Fortune Pandiyan Hotel
(
www.fortunehotels.in
) and
Sangam
(
www.hotelsangam.com
). Both are large and utterly characterless, and charge similar rates (around Rs 4,000–Rs 4,750 for a room; Rs 500 for an airport transfer); of the two, Sangam is currently preferable thanks to the more recent renovation efforts (2007). But given that you can bag a Club Room at Heritance for Rs 3,500 (see below), I wouldn’t think twice before booking one of these, the best-value rooms in town—move fast though, as there are only seven!

If you want to be walking distance to the temple and immersed in the fabulous (albeit noisy) atmosphere of the lanes that radiate from it, Royal Court (reviewed below) has the edge in terms fittings and amenities, but a very good alternative, particularly if you’re watching your rupees, is a standard room at
Hotel Park Plaza:
a steal at Rs 2,100 double, including breakfast (avoid suites). The receptionist’s shirt may be grubby but the rooms are not—fittings are looking a little worn but are sparkling clean, as are the marble floors and linens.

The most atmospheric place to dine in the city at night (weather permitting) is on a rooftop with a view of the temple goparums. In the city center your two best options are the pleasant
Mogul Rooftop Barbeque Grill House
at Royal Court (see below), where a good meal will never break the bank (note however that no alcohol is served), or the equally good-value vegetarian restaurant
Surya
(where alcohol is served but no meat). Surya, within sight of Mogul, is located on the rooftop of the Hotel Supreme (entrance from West Perumal Masonry St.; exit the temple’s West Gate and walk down Town Hall road, then turn right into West Perumal).

For a more fine-dining occasion, look no further than
On Board,
the elevated al fresco terrace at the Taj (not to be confused with The View, where cuisine standards are patchy). There is a very good set menu (predominantly tandoor-style kebabs), and it is only open at night, when the city sparkles at your feet. The menu is priced at Rs 1,500 (plus taxes) but is well worth the splurge for the atmosphere alone.

GRT Regency
It’s big and it’s bland, but this professionally run hotel—part of the small but growing South Indian GRT chain—is the best-value option in its price category. The deluxe rooms, renovated in 2009, are definitely worth the extra Rs 1,000 per room, featuring all the modern touches you’d expect from an upmarket corporate hotel (standard rooms are same size and comfortable, but decor is very dated). It’s a slickly managed outfit, with generous touches (free Wi-Fi and daily newspapers) designed to make guests feel at home (the exception being the pool area, which could do with a bit of screening and greening). It’s not walking distance to anything, so you have to catch a taxi to get to Madurai’s atmospheric streets; if this is important, book Royal Court. Alternatively, if you like your hotels to have character and atmosphere, you’d be better off at the Gateway (assuming you’re happy to pay for the privilege).

38 Madakulam Rd., TPK Rd., NH7, Palanganatham Signal Junction, Madurai 625003.
0452/237-1155.
www.grthotels.com
. [email protected]. Rs 3,750 standard double; Rs 4,750 deluxe double. Rates include breakfast; exclude taxes. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; airport transfer (Rs 500); Ayurvedic massages; babysitting; gym; pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).

Heritance Madurai
At last, Madurai has a stylish, luxurious boutique hotel to cater for the well heeled; a lush, peaceful oasis (like The Gateway, though with none of The Gateway’s glorious views) located around 15 minutes’ drive from the Meenakshi Temple. Opened in late 2008 on the sprawling grounds of what used to be the Old Madurai Club, the Heritance is still a work in progress (Wi-Fi is planned but not yet available). But it is clear just how classy the final outcome will be, with the club buildings, once private gathering place for the wealthy textile mill owners, artfully renovated, and new villas built in similar style using local and recycled materials, including honey-colored Nagamali Hills granite, stone slabs from abandoned textile mills, and Chettinad doors and pillars taken from derelict homes. The Luxury Villas are huge, each with separate private plunge pool and gorgeous drench shower rooms; the seven Club Rooms, all opening onto a deep shared stoep (veranda), offer exceptional value, given that they enjoy access to all the same facilities, including the magnificent swimming pool, prettiest in Tamil Nadu.

11, Melakkal Main Rd., Kochada, Madurai 625 004.
0452/2385455.
Fax 0452/2383001.
www.heritancemadurai.com
. 35 units. Rs 8,200 double Luxury Villa; Rs 3,500 Club room. Extra person Rs 1,500; child Rs 1,000. Taxes and breakfast extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; airport transfer (Rs 600); babysitting; pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.