Meenakshi Incarnation

Meenakshi is the tutelary deity of Madurai, known to be a reincarnation of Goddess Parvati. Meenakshi is an amalgamation of the words ‘meen’ (fish) and 'akshi' (eyes) meaning ‘fish-eyed’ goddess, considered as a mark of beauty. The lore of Meenakshi begins with King Malayadhwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai performing a yajna (sacrificial rite) seeking a son for succession. Instead, a three-year-old girl, with fish-like eyes and three breasts appeared from the fire. The gods guided the royal parents to raise her as a son, and reassured them that she will lose the third breast when she meets her destined consort. The warrior princess grew up to be crowned as Malayadhwaja Pandya’s successor, and her her army to many different places. Upon meeting Shiva in the Himalayas, her third breast vanished, and she requested Shiva to marry her. Shiva told Meenakshi to return to Madurai and wait for him. He arrived a few days later in the form of Sundareswarar, and when they got married, she took up her true form as his divine consort, Meenakshi Amman. The central figures in the exquisite Tanjore painting are the divine couple, Sundareswarar and Meenakshi at their wedding. On the left, Goddess Meenakshi is depicted in her characteristic green-tinted appearance and a rose-ringed parakeet nestled on her shoulder. Dancers, rishis, and other common persons surround the central figures.
In the temple at Madurai, in Tamil Nadu, India, Shiva is not depicted as a wanderer. Instead, he is depicted as a family man, clad in jewels and silks, as seen in this Tanjore painting. Shiva is treated as the consort of queen Meenakshi, and not the other way around, because in Madurai, she rules the land, and has a special place in the hearts of the local people.