Best Time To Visit Madurai

Southern India's oldest city and home to the mind-blowing Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai remains crowded with travelers, tradesman and tramps all throughout. This animated town, bustling with baroque temples and commercial activities, has been rightly conferred the tag of "Athens of the East." Located right in the heart of the city is the awe-inspiring Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, whose beauty and architecture just promises to leave the spectators spellbound. Besides its wonderful shrines, Madurai is also a great place for foodies and shopaholics. Some of the hard-to-miss-out gastronomical delights of the place are steaming idlis served with pure coconut chutney, appams and other scrumptious South Indian dishes. Travelers can commute within the city either by local buses, taxis or auto rickshaws. The overall weather experienced by Madurai is warm. However, the summers here are exceptionally hot and humid. If you are planning a trip to Madurai, then knowing all about the seasons here and the best time to visit Madurai would make some sense to you. Read on to know more on this.

When To Go To Madurai

Summer
Visiting Madurai during the summers is a strict no-no since the temperature tends to get extremely sweltry and muggy during this time of the year. Those traveling to Madurai during this period should stall their travel plans or shun from going out on day excursion trips to avoid being scorched down by the blazing sun. During the summers, the mercury hits a high of 38⁰ C, making the weather hugely intolerable. March marks the onset of summer that usually ends by June. Among all the months, May undoubtedly remains the hottest month of the year.

Monsoon
The months of September, October and November offers a welcoming respite from the scorching summers. Being located in the central part of India, Madurai receives meager downpours. However, moderate rainfalls and occasional cloudbursts are good enough to shoot down the temperature levels to great degrees. The average rainfall received by the city is approximately 85 cm. According to the recorded statistics, the city receives an average of 316 cm of rainfall from the Northeast monsoon and 239 cm of rainfall from the Southwest monsoon.

Winter
Winters in Madurai are indisputably the best time to make a quick jaunt. During the winter months of December, January and February, the conditions are mildly pleasant with temperature hovering somewhere between 18⁰ C - 30⁰ C. The humidity level during this time is certainly low, making it the perfect time to explore the city. Unlike rest of India, the winter nights here remain warm and never get too nippy.

Opting For Your Favorite Season
The ideal time to visit the temple city is anytime between October to March. On your visit to Madurai, don't miss out on the opportunity to witness the festivals and other cultural programs that are religiously conducted here. While in the month of April/May, the colorful 'Chitirai Festival' is solemnized for 10 long days, the much-awaited float festival is usually observed in the month of January. If you travel in the month of December, you can city streets filled with myriad artistic patterns drawn by women. Some of the temples also hold cultural programs and Carnatic music sessions. The people of Madurai are traditional and friendly in their outlook. Hence, visiting the city should be an exhilarating experience for you.

Things To Do
There is no dearth of things to do in Madurai. Right from delving deep into the grandiosity of Dravidian architecture to exploring the breathtaking beauty of its kaleidoscopic temples, a trip to Madurai definitely proves to be a lesson in mind-boggling Indian mythos. Apart from hitting the Meenakshi Ammam Temple, one can also check out other hotspots like the Naikar Palace and the Azhagar Kovil, which are the star attractions of this city. You can also dig into some outdoor fun sport, hike down the offbeat paths or just sit back and savor the dainty delicacies of the land.