Tirumalai Nayak

(r. 1623–1659) Greatest ruler in the
southern Indian Nayak dynasty, who
took advantage of the collapse of the
Vijayanagar dynasty to rule much of
modern Tamil Nadu from the capital
city of Madurai. The peace and prosperity during Tirumalai’s reign was
expressed with two large pieces of monumental architecture—his royal palace,
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Tirumalai Nayak
Depiction of Tirumalai Nayak.
and the enormous Minakshi temple,
named after the goddess considered to
be Madurai’s patron deity. Interestingly,
the temple was the real ritual center of
the city, as is clearly shown by its placement and the processional streets surrounding it.