A city in South India, in the Madras Presidency, and now known as Madura. It is generally referred to as Dakkhiṇa-Madhurā, to distinguish it from (Uttara-)Madhura on the Yamunā. Dakkhiṇa-Madhurā was the second capital of the Pāṇḍyan kingdom (their first being Korkai, see Vincent Smith, EHI.335 ff), and there was constant intercourse between this city and Sri Lanka. From Madhurā came the consort of Vijaya, first king of Sri Lanka, and she was accompanied by many maidens of various families who settled in Sri Lanka (Mhv.vii.49 ff). Sena II sent an army to pillage Madhurā, and set upon the throne a Paṇḍu prince who had begged for his support (Cv.li.27 ff). Later, Madhurā was attacked by Kulasekhara, and its king, Parakkama, sought the assistance of Parakkamabāhu I of Sri Lanka. The latter sent an army under his general Laṅkāpura, but in the meantime the Pāṇḍyan king had been slain and his capital taken. The Singhalese army, however, landed on the opposite coast and carried on a war against the Colas, and built a fortress near Rāmnād, which they called Parakkamapura. They managed to defeat Kulasekhara and restore the crown of Madhurā to the Pāṇḍyan king’s son, Vīra Pandu. The captives taken by the army were sent to Sri Lanka. For details see Cv.lxxvi.76 ff; lxxvii.1 ff; see also Cv.Trs.ii.100, n. 1.

Rājasīha II is said to have obtained wives from Madhurā (Cv.xcvi.40), as did his successors Vimaladhammasūriya II, Narindasīha and Vijayarājasīha. Ibid., xcvii.2, 24; xcviii.4.