King Kulasekara Pandya (1190–1216 CE) built the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. He constructed the main portions of the three-storeyed gopura at the entrance to the Sundareswarar Shrine and some of the earliest remaining sections of the temple are the central portion of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine. In addition to crediting him with a poem called Ambikai Malai, the traditional texts call him a poet-saint king, as well as shrines (koil) each for Natarajar and Surya near the main temple, Ayyanar in the east, Vinayagar in the south, Kariamalperumal in the west and Kali in the north. He built a Mahamandapam, as well. Kulasekara Pandya was also a poet, and composed a poem called Ambikai Malai on Meenakshi.
Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I built a gopura in 1231, then called Avanivendaraman, later rebuilt, expanded and named Sundara Pandya Thirukkopuram. Maravarman Sundara Pandyan II (1238-1251) built the Chitra gopuram (W), also known as Muttalakkum Vayil. This gopuram is named after the frescoes and reliefs portraying religious and secular themes of Hindu culture. Also attached to the Sundareswara Shrine and the Sundara Pandyan Mandapam was Maravarman Sundara Pandyan II.It was reconstructed after the damage of the 14th century, its granite structure was restored after 1595 by Kumara Krishnappar. Although the temple has historical roots, most of the current campus structure was reconstructed after the 14th century CE, Tirumala Nayaka further repaired, renovated and expanded in the 17th century. Delhi Sultanate armies led by Muslim commander Malik Kafur plundered the temple in the early 14th century, plundered it of its valuables and destroyed the Madurai temple town along with many other South India temple towns.The contemporary temple is the result of efforts to rebuild begun by the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire who rebuilt the core and reopened the temple. The temple complex was further expanded and strengthened in the 16th century by the Nayak ruler Vishwanatha Nayakar and later by others. The restored complex now houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45 to 50 meters in height, the southern gopura being 51,9 meters highest.Numerous pillared halls such as Ayirakkal (1,000 pillar hall), Kilikoondu-mandapam, Golu-mandapam and Pudu-mandapam have been carved into the complex. Its shrines are dedicated to scholars of Hindu deities and Shaivism, with the vimanas gilded with gold above the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of Meenakshi and Sundaresvara.
The goddess Meenakshi is the temple 's main deity, unlike most of South India's Shiva temples where Shiva is the main deity. King Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai performed a Yajna seeking a son for succession according to a legend found in the Tamil text Tiruvilaiyatarpuranam. Instead, a daughter who is already 3 years old and has three breasts is born out of the fire. Shiva intervenes and says the parents will treat her like a baby, and she will lose the third breast when she meets her husband.They obey the advice. The girl grows up, the king crowns her as the successor and she takes her true form of Meenakshi when she meets Shiva, his words come true. According to Harman, this may reflect South India's matrilineal practices and regional belief that "penultimate [spiritual] forces reside with women," gods listen to their spouse, and that the fate of kingdoms lies with the woman. The reverence for Meenakshi is, according to Susan Bayly, a part of the Hindu goddess tradition that integrates with the Dravidian Hindu society where the "woman is the lynchpin of the system" of social relations.
Meenakshi and Shiva 's marriage was the largest event, gathering all gods, goddesses, and living beings. Vishnu is presumed to be Meenakshi 's uncle. At the wedding Vishnu is giving her away to Shiva.
In each month of the Tamil calendar the Meenakshi temple hosts a festival. Some festivals draw major attendance, with more than a million people attending the Meenakshi wedding-related festival over 12 days. It is called the "Thirukalyanam Meenakshi" The festival is held in the month of Chithirai, which typically falls around April. It marks Meenakshi 's divine union, and is the festival with the most attendance. The divine couple's wedding is considered a classic example of South Indian marriage with matrilineal emphasis, an arrangement known as "Madurai marriage."This contrasts with the "Chidambaram marriage," with patrilineal emphasis, reflected by Shiva 's dominance, ritual, and mythology at Chidhambaram's Shiva temple. The festival includes a procession where Meenakshi and Sundareshwara travel in a chariot pulled by volunteer devotees, and Vishnu delivers his sister to Shiva in marriage. The bride Meenakshi is the royal emperor. There are a number of events during the one month period including the "Ther Thiruvizhah" (chariot festival) and "Theppa Thiruvizhah" (float festival).