Meenakshi

Meenakshi (Sanskrit: Mīnākṣī; Tamil: Mīṉāṭci; sometimes spelled as Minakshi; also known as Aṅgayaṟkaṇṇi, Mīnāṭci and Taḍādakai), is a Hindu goddess and tutelary deity of Madurai who is considered an avatar of the Goddess Parvati also referred to as Durga. She is the divine consort of Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva. She finds mention in literatures as the princess or queen of the ancient Madurai based Pandya kingdom who elevates to godhood. The goddess is also extolled by Adi Shankara as Shri Vidya. She is mainly worshipped in India where she has a major temple devoted to her known as the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Meenakshi, Kamakshi and Visalakshi are considered the three Shakti forms of the Goddess Parvati and most Indians visit these three temples irrespective of their location in India.