The Meenakshi Temple is steeped in legends and miracles that have captivated devotees for centuries. One such legend tells the story of the “golden lotus tank,” a sacred pond within the temple complex. It says that the Meenakshi temple was founded by Indra, Lord of the Devas (Angels), when he was on his pilgrimage to expiate for his misdeeds. He felt light-hearted and felt his burden lifting off from him when he neared a swayambu (self-manifested form) lingam at Madurai. Attributing this miracle to the presence of the Lingam, he built a temple for Lord Shiva. Answering his ardent prayers, Shiva blessed him and caused golden lotuses to appear in a nearby pool.

Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple was built by Pandyan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE–1205 CE). He built the main portions of the three-storeyed Gopuram at the entrance of Sundareswarar Shrine and the central portion of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine are some of the earliest surviving parts of the temple. The traditional texts call him a poet-saint king, additionally credit him with a poem called Ambikai Malai, 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 also built a Mahamandapam. Though the temple has historic roots, most of the present campus structure was rebuilt after the 14th century CE, further repaired, renovated and expanded in the 17th century by Tirumala Nayaka. In the early 14th century, the armies of Delhi Sultanate led by Malik Kafur plundered the temple, looted it of its valuables and destroyed the Madurai temple town along with many other temple towns of South India. The contemporary temple is the result of rebuilding efforts started by the Vijayanagara Empire rulers who rebuilt the core and reopened the temple.[13][16] In the 16th century, the temple complex was further expanded and fortified by the Nayak ruler Vishwanatha Nayakar and later others. Its shrines are dedicated to Hindu deities and Shaivism scholars, with the vimanas above the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of Meenakshi and Sundaresvara gilded with gold.