Minakshi (meaning "fish-eyed") is a Sanskrit word that means "fish-eyed."
Minakshi is the presiding goddess of the Minakshi temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Her name alludes to her eyes' form (long and oval) as well
as their fluttering movement, both of which are considered feminine beauty
features in ancient India.
Minakshi was formerly a local divinity who served as the
city's protector.
Minakshi grew in importance as Madurai grew in importance as
the capital of the Pandya kingdom.
Minakshi is born with three breasts, which is already a clue
that she is odd, and is nurtured by her parents as a male, according to her
charter myth.
She swears that she would only marry a man who can beat her
in war when she ascends to the throne in Madurai.
She battles and defeats all of the earth's rulers, but when
she approaches the deity Shiva, she is overcome with modesty and turned from a
fierce warrior to a meek and bashful girl.
Her third breast vanishes at this point, signaling the end
of her unique status.
Minakshi and Shiva (in his Sundareshvara incarnation) get
wedded.
Every year at the Chittirai festival in Madurai, their
wedding is commemorated.
Minakshi remains a peculiar goddess, despite her
metamorphosis in the charter tale.
A goddess's wedding generally signifies her domestication
and servitude to her spouse.
Minakshi, on the other hand, is still the most significant
goddess in Madurai, maybe due to her past role as the city's guardian deity.
Dean David Shulman, Tamil Temple Myths, 1980, has further
information.
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