Madurai is a colourful, extrovert city that originally evolved around the Great Temple of Meenakshi-Sundareshwar and is full of the sounds of Tamil loudspeaker music and temple bells. Tiny shrines and temples dot the streets and there are wonderful, bustling markets. Now the second largest city in Tamil Nadu, in around 300 BC it was ruled by the great Queen Pandai and built up a magnificent trade in pearls, silks and spices. It became known for its elegance and splendour and was capital of the Pandyan dynasty from the seventh to the 13th century AD. Even today, when the city is one of the busiest in south India, Meenakshi-Sundareshwar's gopurams soar and dazzle above the traffic, covered in hundreds of brightly painted figures, with gold finials gleaming on top. There is a temple museum in the spectacular Hall of a Thousand (well, 985) Pillars. The city is always full of pilgrims and festivals take place throughout the year.