We visited during the month of April 2023. It was very hot as compare to North India. We were told that temple will be closed at 12 noon and it will re open at 4 PM so we have to visit before that. Lots of guides are available outside the temple, not sure if they are registered with government or not. They charged us INR 2000 for four of us for VIP Darshan. One can say that if you are visiting temple they why going via VIP channel, but on the other hand if you have limited time you have to take these advantages. One person escorted us to the temple and helped us in darshan. In side the temple atmosphere was very. A different kind of feeling we had. Pujari did Pooja for us and we were able to perform pooja from very near to the Meenakshi Amma Murti. You need at least one hour to visit every part of the temple even if you are taking VIP facility, so plan accordingly.

This is one of the most beautiful temples I’ve been to. I was really worried about the crowd and wait time. But I guess I got lucky. I reached there around 10:30 and came out by 11:30. We did not take any guided tour. The temple is so beautiful inside and the story associated to it is even more beautiful. You have submit your cellphone , camera outside. Please plan your visit early in the morning to avoid rush or standing in the queue.

The official Tamil Nadu Government guide, Rasheed Rajesh, provided an informative tour of Madurai's two main attractions, the renowned Meenakshi Amman Temple and the historic Thirumalai Nayak Palace. His expert guidance added depth to our exploration, ensuring we thoroughly appreciated the grandeur of Meenakshi Amman Temple and the rich history of Thirumalai Nayak Palace even during its current period of renovation. Rajesh's official status as a government-authorized guide further enriched our experience, making it an excellent way to discover these iconic landmarks in Madurai. He can be contacted on +919994849453

Visiting this mandir was a breathtaking experience. The details were remarkable and the aura was so strong. Our guide, Rajesh ji was very helpful throughout the journey as well as extremely knowledgeable. We recommend anyone to go at least once.

Mesmerizing visit. So full of energy and positive vibes. Must go specially if you have faith and belief. Better to hire a guide as he will explain lot of things and can cut short the queue. Mobiles and electronic devices are to be deposited.

Mr Rajesh (+919994849453) did a wonderful job guiding my wife and I through the Meenakshi Amman Temple. He has a relationship with a local shop where you can safely leave your shoes and belongings. I recommend also leaving your socks as the shop will give you a wipe to clean your feet, this way your socks aren’t ruined. Mr Rajesh was very knowledgeable about the temple explaining the history, traditions and architecture. He speaks great English and is very patient with any questions you ask. You should organize your own transportation for the tour. Request that he take you to lunch (you pay) and you won’t be disappointed with the food.

Temple stuctures amazing . Darshan facility good but can' control crowd . Inner area cozy & suffocating due to crowd . Ventillation not enough Need to reinforce ventillation inside temple.

I visited the temple in January 2024. The temple is large and very impressive and thronging with people. After reading reports on here, I asked Rajesh +919994849453 to guide me around the temple. He was very easy to deal with, I just whatsapped him the day before and he replied immediately and we arranged to meet at one of the towers. He helped me store my shoes and phone securely which was otherwise quite chaotic and get through the pat-down and entry quickly and easily. I would have found this quite confusing to navigate otherwise so I appreciated his assistance (this was mainly why i hired a guide after reading reports on here about it - as per reports phones (and I believe charging packs) are not permitted and I brought just my guidebook, phone and water leaving everything else at my hotel nearby which I recommend doing if you can.) However once through, Rajesh also offered lots of really interesting and thorough explanations about the statues, deities and everything inside the temple. Inside there are some english signs but the layout is quite confusing so I found it very helpful to have Rajesh. He also explained many things about the temple to me and was able to take me down certain paths and routes I would not otherwise have been able to go. He was very patient and even took me back to see something I thought I had missed from my guidebook and round the temple museum at my request so I was able to see everything I wanted to. At the end of the tour we visited a cooperative crafts opposite the temple to see the temple gopuram from their roof and there are crafts to buy if you want (but it was not a hard sell). All in all he really enriched my visit and I would highly recommend Rajesh as a guide. And he kindly shared some wonderful photos of the temple by whatsapp after as no phones allowed inside.

Amazing place to go and see, full of colour, noise and som many things to see. Bare feet only but there are safe and free places to leave your shoes. Also not allowed phones inside, again they have a desk that takes and stores them for you while you are inside.

We organized a tour with Mr. Rajesh (+919994849453) and he was absolutely fantastic. We agreed to meet up at our hotel around 8AM; note that he does not provide a car of his own, so we had to get one through the hotel (thankfully not a big deal). Once we arrived at the temple, he walked us along the outside, explaining different things and the various structures around the temple. He has a relationship with a local shop where you can safely leave your shoes and belongings (no photos are allowed in the temple); note I was allowed to wear socks into the temple (I've seen that some others were told they could not wear socks inside). All in all, you'll spend about 2 hours there and Rajesh walks/talks you through everything in great detail. Hire him!