Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

dedicated to

Nataraja Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ''T ...

, the form of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

as the lord of dance. This temple is located in

Chidambaram Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of si ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. This temple has ancient roots and a Shiva shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai. Pal 1988, p. 19 Chidambaram, the name of the city literally means "stage of consciousness". The temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine.Chidambaram
Encyclopædia Britannica The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from the ''

Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...

'' by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation of

Bharatanatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of S ...

, an Indian classical dance. The present temple was built in the 10th century when Chidambaram was the capital of the Chola dynasty, making it one of the oldest surviving active temple complexes in South India. After its 10th-century consecration by the Cholas who considered Nataraja as their family deity, Harle 1994, pp. 292–304, 311–313 the temple has been damaged, repaired, renovated and expanded through the 2nd millennium. Most of the temple's surviving plan, architecture and structure is from the late 12th and early 13th centuries, with later additions in similar style. While Shiva as Nataraja is the primary deity of the temple, it reverentially presents major themes from

Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

, and other traditions of Hinduism. The Chidambaram temple complex, for example, has the earliest known Amman or

Devi Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conce ...

temple in South India, a pre-13th-century

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

shrine with chariot, shrines for

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

and

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, one of the earliest known Shiva Ganga sacred pool, large mandapas for the convenience of pilgrims (

Ananda Tandava Tandava (also spelled as ) also known as , is a divine dance performed by Hindu god Shiva. Shiva is depicted as dancing the Tandava in his form of Nataraja. The ''Natya Shastra'', a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts describes various as ...

("Dance of Delight") in the golden hall of the shrine ''Pon Ambalam''. The temple is one of the five elemental lingas in the

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

pilgrimage tradition, and considered the subtlest of all Shiva temples ('' Kovil'') in Hinduism. It is also a site for performance arts, including the annual Natyanjali dance festival on

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri ( IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ...

Legend

Chidambaram is one of the many temple towns in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by a particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The town used to be called Thillai, following Thillaivanam, derived from the mangrove of ''Tillai'' trees (''

Excoecaria agallocha ''Excoecaria agallocha'', a mangrove species, belongs to the genus '' Excoecaria'' of the family Euphorbiaceae. The species has many common names, including blind-your-eye mangrove, blinding tree, buta buta tree, milky mangrove, poisonfish tree ...

'') that grow here and the nearby

Pichavaram Pichavaram is a village near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located between the Vellar estuary in the north and Coleroon estuary in the south. The Vellar-Coleroon estuarine complex forms the Killai backwater and t ...

wetlands. The site became the capital of Cholas in the 10th century, and they renamed it to Chidambaram and built the current temple for their

family deity A kuladevatā (), also known as a kuladaivaṃ, is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism. Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion ('' bhakti''), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (''kula''), gotra, family, and ch ...

Shiva. The word ''Chidambaram'' comes from the Tamil word ''Chitrambalam'' (also spelled ''Chithambalam'') meaning "wisdom atmosphere". The roots are ''citt'' or ''chitthu'' means "consciousness or wisdom", while and ''ampalam'' means "atmosphere". This composite word comes from its association with Shiva Nataraja, the cosmic dancer and the cultural atmosphere for arts. The word Chidambaram is translated by James Lochtefeld as "clothed in thought". The town and temple name appears in medieval Hindu texts by various additional names such as Kovil (lit. "the temple"), Pundarikapuram, Vyagrapuram, Sirrampuram, Puliyur and Chitrakuta. Additional names for Chidambaram in Pallava era and North Indian texts include Kanagasabainathar, Ponnambalam, Brahmastpuri and Brahmapuri.

Location

The Nataraja temple in Chidambaram is located in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is about north of the

Kollidam River The Kollidam (referred to as Coleroon in Colonial English) is a river in southeastern India. The Kollidam is the northern distributary of the Kaveri River as it flows through the delta of Thanjavur. It splits from the main branch of the Kave ...

(Kaveri), west from the coast of Bay of Bengal, and south of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. The closest major airport is about north in Pondicherry (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...

: PNY). The National Highway 32 (old numbering: NH-45A) passes through Chidambaram. The

Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd. - (TNSTC) is a Government owned public transport bus operator in Tamil Nadu, India. It operates Intercity bus services to cities within Tamil Nadu, and from Tamil Nadu to its neighbouring states. It a ...

and private companies operate services connecting it to major cities in the state. The site is linked to the Indian Railways with daily express trains to South Indian cities. Chidambaram is a temple town, with the Nataraja complex spread over within a nearly square courtyard in the center. Its side roads are aligned to the east–west, north–south axis. It has double walls around its periphery with gardens. It has had entrance gateways on all four sides.

History

The Nataraja temple has ancient roots, likely following the temple architecture tradition that is found all over South India from at least the 5th century. Textual evidence, such as those of the Sangam tradition, suggest a temple existed here along with Madurai in ancient times, but the town is not named Chidambaram in these pre-5th-century texts. The earliest mention of "dancing god of Chidambaram" as Shiva is found in 6th- and early-7th-century texts by Appar and Sambadar. The ''Suta Samhita'' embedded inside '' Sri Kanda Puranam'' and variously dated between 7th and 10th century mentions the Chidambaram dance. The surviving Nataraja temple has a structure that is traceable to the early Chola dynasty. Chidambaram was the early capital of this dynasty, and Shiva Nataraja was their family deity. The Chidambaram temple town remained important to the Cholas, albeit with increasing competition from other temple towns when Rajaraja Chola I moved the capital to

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

, built a new city and the massive

Brihadeeswarar Temple Brihadishvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram () by its builder, and known locally as ''Thanjai Periya Kovil'' ("Thanjavur Big Temple") and ''Peruvudaiyar Kovil'', is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the ...

dedicated to Shiva in the early 11th century, which is now a world heritage site.Thanjavur
Encyclopædia Britannica Nataraja Shiva and his "dance of bliss" is an ancient Hindu art concept. It is found in various texts such as ''Tatva Nidhi'' which describes seven types of dance and their spiritual symbolism, ''Kashyapa Silpa'' which describes 18 dance forms with iconographic details and design instructions, as well as Bharata's ancient treatise on performance arts ''

'' which describes 108 dance postures among other things. Reliefs and sculptures of Nataraja have been found across the Indian subcontinent, some dating to the 6th century and earlier such as in

Aihole Aihole (pronounced "Eye-hoḷé"), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth ...

and Badami cave temples. yet creatively evolved the idea into forms not found elsewhere. The earliest historically verifiable Shiva temple at Chidambaram is traceable in inscriptions that date to the rule of Aditya Chola I in the early 10th century, and far more during the rule of the 10th-century Chola king Parantaka I. For them, the dancing Shiva was the ''kula-nayaka'' (family guide or deity) and Chidambaram was the capital they built. These inscriptions and texts from this period suggest that the significance of the '' Agama texts'' and Shaiva Bhakti movement was strengthening within the Chola leadership and thought. The copper plate inscriptions of Parantaka I (c. 907–955 CE) describe him as the "bee at the lotus feet of Shiva" who built the golden house for Shiva, with Chit-sabha, Hema-sabha, Hiranya-sabha and Kanaka-sabha (all mandapam, pillared pilgrim rest places). He is referred to as "Pon veinda Perumal", which means "one who covered with gold" the Chit-sabha of Chidambaram. Both Aditya I and his Chola successor Parantaka I were active supporters of arts and temple building. They converted many older brick and wooden temples into more lasting temples from cut stone as the building blocks in dozens of places across South India.

Raja Raja Chola I Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...

(985–1013 CE) embarked on a mission to recover the hymns of the 63 Nayanmars after hearing short excerpts of the ''Tevaram'' in his court.Culter 1987, p. 50 He sought the help of

Nambiyandar Nambi Thirunaraiyur Nambiyandar Nambi was an eleventh-century Shaiva scholar of Tamil Nadu in South India who compiled the hymns of Sampantar, Appar and Sundarar and was himself one of the authors of the eleventh volume of the canon of the Tamil litu ...

, who was a priest in a temple. Cort 1998, p. 178 It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct in the temple. The ''brahmanas'' (

Dikshitars Dīkṣitars (Tamil: தீக்ஷிதர்) or Thillai Vazh Anthaanar are a Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu who are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram. Smartha (especially the Vadamas), Sri Vaishnava and othe ...

) in the temple are supposed to have disagreed with the king by saying that the works were too divine, and that only by the arrival of the "Naalvar" (the four saints)—

Appar Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...

Sundarar Sundarar (Tamil: சுந்தரர்), also referred to as Chuntarar, Chuntaramurtti, Nampi Aruran or Tampiran Tolan, was an eighth-century poet-saint of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. He is among the Tevaram trio, and one o ...

Tirugnanasambandar Sambandar (Tamil: சம்பந்தர்), also referred to as Tirugnana Sambandar (lit. ''Holy Sage Sambandar''), Tirujnanasambanda, Campantar or Jñāṉacampantar, was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th cen ...

and

Manickavasagar Manikkavacakar, or Maanikkavaasagar ''(Tamil: மாணிக்கவாசகர், "One whose words are like gems")'', was a 9th-century Tamil saint and poet who wrote ''Tiruvasakam'', a book of Shaiva hymns. Speculated to have been a minis ...

would they allow for the chambers to be opened. Rajaraja, however, created idols of them and prepared for them to be brought to the temple through a procession. but Rajaraja is said to have prevailed. Vasudevan 2003, pp. 109-110 Rajaraja thus became known as ''Tirumurai Kanda Cholan'' meaning one who saved the ''Tirumurai''. The temple, according to inscriptions found in South India and Southeast Asia, was also historic recipient of a precious jewel from the king of Angkor who built the Angkor Wat through Chola king Kulothunga, who submitted it to the temple in 1114 CE. Kulothunga I and his son expanded the Chidambaram Nataraja temple expanse sixfold. Chidambaram temple thrived during the Chola dynasty rule through mid-13th century, along with the later Shiva-based Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram capitals, as well as Vishnu-based

Srirangam Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...

temple towns. Its facilities infrastructure was expanded. Naralokaviran, the general of king

Kulothunga Chola I Kulottunga I (;1025 CE - 1122 CE) also spelt Kulothunga (), was a Chola Emperor who reigned from 1070 CE to 1122 CE succeeding his cousin Athirajendra Chola. He also served as the Eastern Chalukya king from 1061 CE to 1118 CE, succeeding his ...

was responsible for building the steps that lead to Sivaganga water pool, a goddess shrine, a shrine for child saint Thirugnana Sambanthar, temple gardens and a pilgrim road network in and around Chidambaram. He constructed a hall for recitation of ''Tevaram'' hymns and engraved the hymns in copper plates. Dehejia 1990, pp. 99-101 The thousand pillar

choultry Choultry is a resting place, an inn or caravansary for travelers, pilgrims or visitors to a site, typically linked to Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples. They are also referred to as . Between the second half of the 12th century and the early 13th century, the Chola kings added colorful and high gopura stone gateways as easily identifiable landmarks, starting with the western gopura. Thereafter, about mid 13th century, the Pandya dynasty ended the Chola dynasty. The Hindu Pandyas were liberal supporters of Chidambaram temple, along with other Shiva and Vishnu temples, just like the Chola. Sundara Pandya added the huge eastern gopura at Chidambaram, beginning the colossal gateway tradition. Most of the structure and plans currently seen in the Chidambaram complex, including the mandapas with their pillar carvings, the various shrines with polished granite sculptures, the sacred water pool and the early gopurams are from the 12th and 13th century, attributed to the late Chola and early Pandya kings.

Invasions

In the north, the Indian subcontinent had been conquered by the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

. Muslim armies had begun raiding central India for plunder by the late 13th century. In 1311, when Sultan

Alauddin Khilji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative ...

ordered his general

Malik Kafur Malik Kafur (died 1316), also known as Taj al-Din Izz al-Dawla, was a prominent slave-general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He was captured by Alauddin's general Nusrat Khan during the 1299 invasion of Gujarat, and rose to promin ...

and his forces to invade southern Hindu kingdoms, he went deeper into the Indian peninsula for loot and to establish annual tribute agreement between the kingdom and the Sultanate. The records left by the court historians of the Delhi Sultanate state that Malik Kafur raided

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

and other Tamil towms, destroyed the temples, and the Nataraja temple was one of the sources of gold and jewels booty he brought back to Delhi. The temple towns of Tamil Nadu were again targeted for loot in the 1320s. However, when the news of another invasion spread in Tamil lands, the community removed them into the Western Ghats or buried numerous sculptures and treasures in the land and concealed chambers underneath temples sites before the Muslim armies reached them. A large number of these were rediscovered in archaeological excavations at the site in and after 1979, including those in Chidambaram.R. Nagaswamy (1987)
Archaeological Finds in South India: Esālam Bronzes and Copper-plates
Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 1-68 According to Nagaswamy, those who buried the temple artworks followed the Hindu Agama texts such as ''Marici Samhita'' and ''Vimanarcanakalpa'' that recommend ritually burying precious metal

murti In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. Thus ...

s as a means of protection when war and robbery is imminent. Over 200 such items have been recovered, including relevant hordes of copper plate inscriptions. The Islamic invasion in the 14th century, states George Michell – a professor and art historian of Indian architecture, brought an abrupt end to the patronage of Chidambaram and other temple towns. The Delhi Sultan appointed a Muslim governor, who seceded within the few years from the Delhi Sultanate and began the

Madurai Sultanate Ma'bar Sultanate ( fa, ), unofficially known as the Madurai Sultanate, was a short lived kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. The sultanate was proclaimed in 1335 led by Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan declared his independenc ...

. This Sultanate sought tribute from the temple towns, instead of supporting them. The Muslim Madurai Sultanate was relatively short lived, with Hindu

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...

removing it in the late 14th century. The Vijayanagara rulers restored, repaired and expanded the temple through the 16th century, along with many other regional temples. These kings themselves went on pilgrimage to Chidambaram, and gifted resources to strengthen its walls and infrastructure. Fergusson, James, Gateway at Chillambaram, 1847

Fergusson, James, Gateway at Chillambaram, 1847

The destruction of

in the late 16th century by an alliance of Sultanates, followed within a few decades by entrance of Portuguese, French and British colonial interests brought geopolitical uncertainties to Chidambaram and other temple towns. The Portuguese were already a major

Coromandel Coast The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coastal region of the Indian subcontinent, bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an ...

trading group by the early 17th century, a region to which Chidambaram belonged. The Portuguese began building forts, garrison and churches in Coromandel Coast region after the demise of Vijayanagara, triggering the intervention of the French and the British. By the mid-17th century, the temple complex was within the patronage of Nayakas, who repaired the temple and repainted the frescoes on mandapa ceilings. According to Michell, these restorations likely occurred about 1643 CE during the reign of Shrirangadeva Raya III. According to British reports, Chidambaram temple town had to bear the "brunt of several severe onslaughts" between the French and the British colonial forces several times particularly in the 18th century.

Legend

The Chidambaram temple legend is contained in the 12th-century text ''Chidambara-mahatmya''. The central episode states that Shiva visits sages in the mythical Pine Forest in the form of a dancer mendicant (

Bhikshatana Bhikshatana ( sa, भिक्षाटन; ; literally, "wandering about for alms, mendicancy") or Bhikshatana-murti () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the "Supreme mendicant" or the "Supreme Beggar". Bhikshtana is depicted as a nude f ...

) accompanied by

Mohini Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a '' femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them ...

, Vishnu in his avatar as a beautiful woman. Mohini triggers lustful interest of the sages, while Shiva performs

Tandava Tandava (also spelled as ) also known as , is a divine dance performed by Hindu god Shiva. Shiva is depicted as dancing the Tandava in his form of Nataraja. The '' Natya Shastra'', a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts describes various a ...

dance that triggers the carnal interest of the wives of these sages. The sages ultimately realise how superficial their austerities have been. The episode becomes widely known. Two sages named

Patanjali Patanjali ( sa, पतञ्जलि, Patañjali), also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra, was a Hindu author, mystic and philosopher. Very little is known about him, and while no one knows exactly when he lived; from analysis of his works it i ...

(also called Sesha-bodied in the south for his connection to Vishnu) and

Vyaghrapada Vyaghrapada (Sanskrit: व्याघ्रपद, IAST: vyāghrapada, lit. ''tiger-footed''), was one of the mythical rishis (sage) of ancient India. The tradition The legend states that Vyaghrapada was a rishi and he was entrusted with the ...

(also called Tiger-footed sage) want to see the repeat performance of this "dance of bliss" in the Thaillai forest, Chidambaram. They set up a Shivalinga, pray, meditate and wait. Their asceticism impresses Shiva who appeared before them in Chidambaram and performed "the dance" against "the wall, in the blessed hall of consciousness". This is how this temple started, according to the mahatmya embedded in the Tamil ''Sthalapurana''. Anand 2004, pp. 149-152 According to Kulke, the late medieval text ''Chidambaramahatmya'' may reflect a process of Sanskritisation, where these North Indian named sages with Vedic links became incorporated into regional temple mythology. According to another Hindu legend, Mahalingaswamy at Thiruvidaimarudur is the centre of all Shiva temples in the region and the ''Saptha Vigraha moorthis'' (seven prime deities in all

temples) are located at seven cardinal points around the temple, located in various parts of the state. The seven deities are Nataraja in Chidambaram Nataraja Temple at

, Chandikeswarar temple at Tirucheingalur,

Vinayagar Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu de ...

in Vellai Vinayagar Temple at

Thiruvalanchuzhi Thiruvalanjuli is a village in the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The village is known for the famous Kabartheeswarar Temple which houses the image of Vellai Vinayagar. It is the suburban region of business city of ...

Muruga Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

in Swamimalai Murugan Temple at

Swamimalai Swamimalai is a panchayat town that is a suburb near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the banks of river Kaveri and is one of the six abodes of the Lord Muruga. History The town has one of the ...

Bhairava Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhaira ...

in Sattainathar Temple at

Sirkali Sirkazhi () also spelled as ''Siyali'' is a major municipal town in Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located from the coast of the Bay of Bengal, and from the state capital Chennai. Sirkazhi was a part of Thanjavur distric ...

Navagraha Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...

in Sooriyanar Temple at Suryanar Kovil,

Dakshinamoorthy Dakshinamurthy () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge. This aspect of Shiva, as the original guru, is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. Thi ...

in Apatsahayesvarar Temple at Alangudi. The temple, also called Perumpatrapuliyur in this context, is one of the

Nava Puliyur Temples Nava Puliyur Temples are the nine Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, that are connected with Puliyur. Origin Patanjali and Vyaghrapada, also known as tiger legged Rishi wanted to see the celestial dance of Shiva. Shiva asked them to come on the day ...

worshipped by Patanjali and Vyaghrapada. The other temples are Thirupathiripuliyur, Erukathampuliyur, Omampuliyur,

Sirupuliyur Sirupuliyur is a village in the Nannilam taluk of Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The place is famous for the Sthalasayana Perumal Temple, a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, ...

, Atthippuliyur, Thaplampuliyur, Perumpuliyur and Kanattampuliyur.

Description

Golden Roof, Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram

10th to 13th century Chidambaram Nataraja Temple plan

Architecture

The temple as it stands had a pre-Chola existence and the architecture is Dravidian with the Sanctum Sanctorum closely resembling

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

Malabar Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

style structures. Indeed, the royal charters mention the rebuilding of the Sanctum using architects from Kerala. However, the golden roof is a striking example of Vesara architecture with its apsidal shape. Two small structures called the Chit Sabha and Kanak Sabha form the crux of the vast architectural complex. The temple is spread over a area, within layers of concentric courtyards. The inner sanctum, its connecting mandapams and pillared halls near it are all either squares or stacked squares or both. The complex has nine gopurams, several water storage structures of which the Shivaganga sacred pool is the largest with a rectangular plan. The temple complex is dedicated to Nataraja Shiva and theological ideas associated with Shaivism concepts in Hinduism. However, the temple also includes shrines for Devi, Vishnu, Subrahmanyar, Ganesha, Nandi and others including an Amman shrine, a Surya shrine complete with Chariot wheels. The plan has numerous gathering halls called ''sabha'', two major

choultry Choultry is a resting place, an inn or caravansary for travelers, pilgrims or visitors to a site, typically linked to Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples. They are also referred to as .prakarams A prakaram (प्राकारः in Sanskrit), also spelled pragaram or pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer part around the Hindu temple sanctum. They may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the innermost prakaram. As ...

'' (''prakramas'', courtyards). Each of the courtyard has walls that were defensively fortified after the 14th-century plunder and destruction. Courtyard, Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

The outermost wall around the fourth courtyard has four simple, insignificant gateways. The walls and gateways of the fourth courtyard were added in the 16th century by Vijayanagara rulers after they had defeated the Madurai Sultanate, and this outermost layer was heavily fortified by the Nayakas in the 17th century. These face the four large gopurams that are gateways into the third courtyard. These gopurams are also landmarks from afar. Inside the third courtyard, near the northern gopuram, is the Shivaganga tank, the thousand pillar mandapam, the Subrahmanyar (Murugan, Kartikeya) shrine and the shrine for Parvati (as Shivakama Sundari). The other three gateways are closer to the sanctum. The four gopurams pilgrims and visitors to enter the temple from all four cardinal directions. The complex is interconnected through a maze of pathways. The courtyard walls and gateways are made from cut stones with some brick structure added in. The gardens and palm groves are in the fourth courtyard, outside the walls of the third courtyard walls with the four large gopurams. These were restored or added in by the Vijayanagara rulers in the 16th century.

Towers: gopurams

The temple has nine major gopuram gateways connecting the various courtyards. Four of these are huge and colorful, visible from afar, a symbolic and convenient landmark for pilgrims. These gateway towers or ''

gopurams A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Sout ...

'' each have 7 storeys facing the East, South, West and North. The first edition of the four gopuram superstructures were likely built between 1150 and 1300 CE. The earliest was likely the western gopuram, which is also the smaller of the four. This is generally dated to about 1150 CE. The eastern gopura was likely completed by about 1200 CE, southern gopura by the mid-13th century, while the northern was added in the late 13th century. The four high gopurams were destroyed, rebuilt, repaired, enlarged and redecorated several times after the 13th century. This has made the gopurams difficult to place chronologically, yet useful in scholarly studies of the history of the Nataraja temple. All gopuras are built of precisely cut large stone blocks all the way to the main cornice. Upon this is a stone, brick and plaster structure with layers of pavilions. Above these ''talas'' (storeys) is a Dravidian style barrel vaulted roof, crowned with thirteen ''kalasa'' finials. All four are approximately similar in size and 14:10:3 ratio, about high, wide and deep.

Artwork on the gopuram

Nataraja Temple gopuram artwork in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

Each gopuram is colorful and unique in its own ways. They narrate stories from various Hindu texts, showing religious and secular scenes from the various Hindu traditions. This art is presented in each gopuram with anthropomorphic figure panels and about fifty niches with stone sculptures in every gopuram. The scenes include multiple panels about the legend of Shiva-Parvati wedding with Brahma, Vishnu, Saraswati and Lakshmi attending, dancing Ganesha, Shiva in his various aspects, Durga in the middle of her war with a demon, Skanda ready for war, seated Nandi, musicians, dancers, farmers, merchants, sadhu in namaste posture, dancing dvarapalas near the vertical center line and others. The artists and architects who built these gopura may have had a rationale in the relative sequence and position of the artwork with respect to each other and on various levels, but this is unclear and a subject of disagreement among scholars. The earliest built western gopuram is the only one with inscriptions below each artwork that identifies what it is. The artwork on it includes Durga fighting the evil, shape shifting buffalo demon and Skanda sitting on peacock and dressed up for war. Other artwork found on the eastern gopuram include Surya, Ganapati, Vishnu, Sridevi (Lakshmi), Tripura Sundari, Brahma, Saraswati, Varuna, Durga, Agni, several '' rishis'', Yamuna goddess, Kama and Rati, Budha, the Vedic sages such as Narada and Agastya, Pantanjali, Somaskanda legend, Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati), Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), several forms of dancing Shiva and others. The surviving south ''gopuram'' called the ''Sokkaseeyan Thirunilai Ezhugopuram'' was constructed by a Pandya king identified from the presence of the dynasty's fish emblem sculpted on the ceiling. The Pandyas sculpted two fishes facing each other when they completed ''gopurams'' (and left it with one fish, in case it was incomplete). Other artwork found on the southern gopuram include Chandesha, Ganapati, Vishnu, Sridevi (Lakshmi), several Devis, Brahma, Saraswati, Surya, Chandra, Durga, Indra, Agni, several '' rishis'', Ganga and Yamuna goddesses, Kama and Rati, Budha, the Vedic sages such as Narada, Pantanjali, Somaskanda legend, Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati), Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), several forms of dancing and standing Shiva such as Pashupata, Kiratarjuna and Lingobhava, as well as others. 13th century collage of Natya Sastra dance mudra on Chidambaram Nataraja temple eastern gopura

13th century collage of Natya Sastra dance mudra on Chidambaram Nataraja temple eastern gopura

The eastern gopuram features the 108 reliefs of Natya Shastra dance postures (22 cm each in a separate niche) and faces the sanctum. Soundara Rajan 2001 National Geographic 2008, p. 268 The eastern gopuram is credited to king Koperunsingan II (1243-1279 CE) as per epigraphical records and was repaired with support from a woman named Subbammal in the late 18th century. The northern gopuram was repaired and finished by the

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () was the capital city of the historic Vijayanagara Empire. Located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, it spread over a large area and included the modern era Group of Monuments at Hampi site in Vijayanagara district, Bell ...

king

Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...

(1509-1530 CE) in the 16th century. The eastern and northern gopura also depicts the wide range of narratives as the southern and western gopuram. The idols of Pachaiappa Mudaliar and his wife Iyalammal have been sculpted on the eastern ''gopuram''. The Pachaiappa Trust to date has been responsible for various functions in the temple and also maintain the temple car. The eastern gopuram is renowned for its complete enumeration of 108 poses of Indian classical dance –

Bharathanatyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

, detailed in small rectangular panels along the passage that leads to the gateway.

Shrines

The temple complex has many shrines, most related to Shaivism but elements of Vaishnavism and Shaktism are included. The innermost structures such as the sanctum and the shrines all have square plans, but the gateways do not align except the innermost two courtyards. Dehejia 1990, pp. 101-105

Shaivism

The sanctum of the temple is set inside the innermost 1st prakara which is a square with about side. This prakara is offset towards the west inside the 2nd prakara, which is also a square with about side. The Shiva sanctum is unusual as it does not have a Shivalinga, rather it has the Chit Sabha (consciousness gathering, also called ''chit ambalam'') with an image of Shiva Nataraja. This introspective empty space has a curtained space that is 3.5 meter long and 1.5 meter wide. It is called the ''rahasya'' (secret) in Hindu texts. It consists of two layers, one red, the other black. According to George Michell, this is a symbolism in Hinduism of "enlightenment inside, illusion outside". It is replaced on the tenth day of the main festivals. The Chidambaram Rahasya is the "formless" representation of Shiva as the metaphysical Brahman in Hinduism, sometimes explained as ''akasha linga'' and divine being same as Self (

Atman Atman or Ātman may refer to: Film * ''Ātman'' (1975 film), a Japanese experimental short film directed by Toshio Matsumoto * ''Atman'' (1997 film), a documentary film directed by Pirjo Honkasalo People * Pavel Atman (born 1987), Russian hand ...

) that is everywhere, in everything, eternally. Facing the ''Chit Sabha'' is the ''Kanaka Sabha'' (also called ''pon ambalam''), or the gathering of dancers. These two sanctum spaces are connected by five silver gilded steps called the ''panchakshara''. The ceiling of the Chit Sabha is made of wooden pillars coated with gold, while copper coats the Kanaka Sabha is copper colored.

Shaktism

The main Devi shrine in the Nataraja temple complex is offset towards the north of the sanctum inside the third prakara, and found to the west of the Shivaganga pool. It is called the Shivakama Sundari shrine, dedicated to Parvati. The temple faces east and has an embedded square plan, though the stacked squares created a long rectangular space. The shrine has its own walls and an entrance gateway (gopura). Inside is the dedicated mandapas and brightly colored frescoes likely from the 17th-century Vijayanagara period. These narrate the story of Shiva and Vishnu together challenging the "learned sages, ascetics and their wives" in the forest, by appearing in the form of a beautiful beggar that dances (bhikshatanamurti) and a beautiful girl that seduces (Mohini) respectively. Another set of frescoes are secular depicting temple festivities and daily life of people, while a stretch narrates the story of Hindu saints named Manikkavachakar and Mukunda. The shrine had artwork narrating the ''

Devi Mahatmya The ''Devi Mahatmya'' or ''Devi Mahatmyam'' ( sa, देवीमाहात्म्यम्, devīmāhātmyam, Glory of the Goddess) is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess as the supreme power and creator of the universe. It is ...

'', a classic Sanskrit text of Shaktism tradition. However, in 1972, these were removed given their dilapidated state. These were replaced with a different story. Other parts of the paintings and shrine also show great damage. The sanctum of the Shivakama Sundari shrine is dedicated to Devi, where she is Shiva's knowledge (''jnana shakti''), desire (''iccha sakti''), action (''kriya sakti'') and compassion (''karuna sakti''). The oldest Shivakama Sundari sculpture at the site representing these aspects of the goddess has been dated to the king Parantaka I period, about 950 CE.

Vaishnavism

The Nataraja temple complex incorporates Vaishnava themes and images like many Hindu temples in South India. A Vishnu shrine, for example, is found inside the sanctum of the temple in its southwest corner. According to George Michell and others, Chola kings revered Shiva with Tyagaraja and Nataraja their family deity, yet their urban Shaiva centers "echo a very strong substratum of Vaishnava traditions". This historic inclusiveness is reflected in Chidambaram with Vishnu Govindaraja in the same sanctum home by the side of Nataraja. After the turmoil of the 14th century when the temple was attacked and looted, there was period when some priests sought to restore only Shaiva iconography according to extant Portuguese Jesuit records. However, the Vijayanagara rulers insisted on the re-consecration of all historic traditions. The temple inscriptions confirm that Vishnu was included along with Shiva in the temple's earliest version, and was reinstalled when the temple was reopened by the Vijayanagara kings. Michell 1995, p. 79 Some texts from the time of king Kulottunga II give conflicting reports, wherein the Shaiva texts state that the king removed the Vishnu image while Vaishnava texts state that they took it away and installed it in Tirupati, sometime about 1135 CE. The scholar

Vedanta Desika Vedanta Desikan (1268–1369), also rendered Vedanta Desikar, Swami Vedanta Desikan, and Thoopul Nigamaantha Desikan, was an Indian polymath who wrote philosophical as well as religious and poetical works in several languages, including Sans ...

re-established the co-consecration in 1370 CE, about the time Vijayanagara Empire conquered Chidambaram and northern Tamil lands from the Madurai Sultanate. The current shrine, states Michell, is from 1539 financed by king Achyutaraya and it features a reclining figure of Vishnu. The Govindaraja shrine is one of the 108 holy temples of Vishnu called ''

divyadesam A Divya Desam or Vaishnava Divya Desam is one of the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that is mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Of the 108 temples, 105 are in India, one is in Nepal, and the las ...

'', revered by the 7th-to-9th-century saint poets of ''

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

'' tradition, ''

Alwars The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondn ...

''. Sundararajan 2003, p. 263

Kulashekhara Alwar Kulasekhara (Tamil: ''குலசேகரர்'') (''fl.'' 9th century CE), one of the twelve Vaishnavite alvars, was a bhakti theologian and devotional poet from medieval south India ( Kerala). He was the author of Perumal Tirumoli in Tamil ...

mentions this temple as ''Tillai Chitrakutam'' and equates

Chitrakuta Chitrakoot may refer to: * Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, a municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India * Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh Assembly constituency, Madhya Pradesh * Chitrakoot division, a division in Uttar Pradesh, India ** Chitrakoot district ** ...

of ''

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

'' fame with this shrine. The shrine has close connections with the Govindaraja temple in

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...

dating back to saint

Ramanuja Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...

of the 11th and 12th centuries. Hüsken 2009, p. 197 Aiyangar 1991, pp. 217-221

Others

The Nataraja temple has a pre-13th-century

shrine. The image is unusual as it depicts a three headed Surya same as Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, with eight hands holding iconographic items of these deities, along with two lotuses in a pair of hands in front, accompanied by two small female figures possibly Usha and Pratyusha, standing on a chariot drawn by seven horses and Aruna as charioteer. The temple also has a significant shrine for

in the southwest corner and a Subrahmanyar shrine in the northwest corner of the third courtyard.

Halls: sabha

The temple has many halls called ''sabha'' (lit. "community gathering", also called ''ambalams'' or ''sabhai'') inside the complex. Two of these are the Chit Sabha and the Kanaka Sabha inside the sanctum area of the Nataraja shrine, described earlier. The other halls are:

Nritta sabha

Nrithya sabha (also called Nritta Sabha, Natya sabha, or "Hall of Dance") is a "so-called 56-pillared" hall. It is in the south section of the second courtyard that circumambulates the Nataraja sanctum of the complex. This second courtyard is near the temple's flag mast (''kodi maram'' or ''dwaja sthambam''). The 13th-century Nritta Sabha is traditionally considered as the place where Shiva and Kali originally entered into a dance competition. Shiva won with the ''urdhva-tandava'' pose that raised his right leg straight up, a posture that Kali refused because she was a woman. The hall is rectangular consisting of three stacked squares, a 15-meter-sided square that is the main hall, which is connected to 4 meters by 8 meters rectangular ''mukha-mandapa'' to its north. The hall now has 50 pillars, but evidence suggests that it may have had 56 or more pillars earlier. These pillars are intricately carved from top to bottom. The lower levels have dancers in ''Natya Shastra'' mudras accompanied with expressive musicians as if both are enjoying creating the music and the dance. The pillars also have embedded narratives of legends from Hindu texts, such as of Durga fighting the buffalo demon, as well as humorous dwarfs frolicking. Below the kapota, the structures show reliefs of seated people, many in ''namaste'' posture, some with a beard and yogi like appearance representing saints and rishis. Nearly 200 of these are still visible, rest appear to have been damaged or eroded over time.Gerd Mevissen (1996), Chidambaram – N¡ttasabha, Architektur, Ikonographie und Symbolik (in German), Berliner Indologische Studien, 9/10, pp. 345-384 The Nritta Sabha platform's base is carved as a chariot, with horses and wheels, as if it is rising out the ground. Historic texts state that the wheels were exquisitely carved and visible in the past, each about 1.25 meter diameter with 28 spokes and 33 medallions, the chariot had ornamented horses, on the wheel was a seated rishi as if he was guiding the movement. Only remnants of this structure remains now. The northern niche of the hall is carved with 14 figures in addition to Shiva as Kanakamurti. The Shiva image had been damaged and is now restored. The 14 figures include Surya (sun god), Chandra (moon god) and 12 rishis of which Narada and Tumburu with Vina can be identified, the others have been too damaged to identify but are likely Vedic rishis. Near them are women in seductive postures, some nudes, likely the wives of the rishis. Next to the northern niche with Shiva are two smaller niches, one for Patanjali seated on coiled serpent and another for bald headed Vyaghrapada, the two mythical Chidambaram saints. The western wall also has a niche with a large Shiva image in his Vrisabhantika form. Once again rishis are with him, this time in ''namaste'' posture. A few figures are dressed royally like warriors and these may be representation of the Chola kings. The hall's center is an open square, with an ornate inverted lotus ceiling decoration. Around this lotus are 108 coffers, each with two human figures in ''namaste'' posture, all oriented to be along the north–south axis likely to suggest the direction to performance artists who would perform live and aligning themselves to the ''chit sabha'' in the sanctum.

Raja sabha: 1,000 pillar hall

Raja sabha or the 1000-pillared hall is to the east of the Shivaganga pool, in the northeast part of the third courtyard. A pillared pathway from the eastern gopuram leads to it. It was a choultry for pilgrims with a convenient access to the pool. The hall's lower mouldings have dance mudras and medieval era musical instruments being played by musicians. The pillars have reliefs. It is now kept closed, except for festivals.

Shatasila sabha: 100 pillar hall

This is northwest of the sanctum, south of the Devi shrine. It is badly damaged and closed to public.

Deva sabha

Deva Sabhai is on the eastern side of the second courtyard. It is called ''Perampalam'', literally "Great Hall" in the inscriptions, which suggests that it is an early structure and was historically important. According to Nanda and Michell, this may be the hall where Shaiva bhakti saints

Nayanars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; ta, நாயன்மார், translit=Nāyaṉmār, translit-std=ISO, lit=hounds of Siva, and later 'teachers of Shiva ) were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were de ...

came and sang hymns. It may also have hosted royal visits during the Chola era times. The Deva sabha (divine gathering hall) houses the temple's revered collection of historic bronze sculptures and modern era frescoes. One of the paintings show Parvati seated in a chair, watching the Nrtta sabha hall.

Temple tanks

The Chidambaram temple is well endowed with several water bodies within and around the temple complex. * Sivaganga

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

is in the third corridor of the temple opposite to the shrine of Shivagami. It is accessed by flights of stone steps leading from the shrine. Dehejia 1990, p. 100 * Paramanandha koobham is the well on the eastern side of the Chitsabha hall from which water is drawn for sacred purposes. Temple Tank in Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

Temple Tank in Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

* Kuyya theertham is situated to the north-east of Chidambaram in Killai near the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...

and has the shore called Pasamaruthanthurai. Caṇmukam Meyyappan 1992, pp. 21-22 * Pulimedu is situated around a kilometer and a half to the south of Chidambaram. * Vyagrapatha Theertham is situated on to the west of the temple opposite to the temple of Ilamai Akkinaar. * Anantha Theertham is situated to the west of the temple in front of the Anantheswarar temple. * Nagaseri tank is situated to the west of the Anantha thirtham. * Brahma Theertham is situated to the north-west of the temple at Thirukalaanjeri. * Underground channels at the shrine drain excess water in a northeasterly direction to the Shivapriyai temple tank of the

Thillai Kali Temple, Chidambaram Thillai Kali Temple is a Hindu Temple located on the outskirts of the town of Chidambaram, Cuddalore District Tamil Nadu in India. It was built by Chola King Kopperunjingan who ruled between 1229 and 1278. Temple The temple is on the outskirts ...

. Due to poor maintenance, it has not been in use. * Thiruparkadal is the tank to the south-east of the Shivapriyai tank.

Inscriptions

Even though the history of the temple goes back to the ''Prabhandas'' and ''Tevaram'', that is the

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...

period, the earliest known inscriptions are only that of

Rajendra Chola Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tami ...

and

Kulothunga I Kulottunga I (;1025 CE - 1122 CE) also spelt Kulothunga (), was a Chola Emperor who reigned from 1070 CE to 1122 CE succeeding his cousin Athirajendra Chola. He also served as the Eastern Chalukya king from 1061 CE to 1118 CE, succeeding his ...

followed by

Vikrama Chola Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (''r. c''. 1118–1135 CE''The Cōḷas.'' 62-63.) of the Chola Empire in southern India. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (''r. c.'' 1070–1120 CE) to the throne.''The ...

and other later rulers. The Nataraja temple inscriptions are notable for mentioning a library of manuscripts in temple premises. Two inscriptions dated to the early 13th century mention re-organization of old temple library. According to Hartmut Scharfe, the older library mentioned may date to the early 12th century. The inscriptions, states Scharfe, recite that the temple employed twenty librarians, of which eight copied old manuscripts to create new editions, two verified the copy matched the original and four managed the proper storage of the manuscripts. There are many Chola inscriptions in the temple, both in Tamil and Sanskrit. These are attributed to

I (1012-1044 CE), Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 CE),

(1118-1135 CE), Rajadhiraja Chola II (1163 -1178 CE),

Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from 1178 to 1218 CE, after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Hoysalas, ...

(1178-1218 CE) and

Rajaraja Chola III Rajaraja Chola III succeeded Kulothunga Chola III on the Chola throne in July 1216 CE. Rajaraja came to the throne of a kingdom much reduced in size as well as influence. With the rise of the Pandya power in the south, the Cholas had lost most ...

(1216-1256 CE). Pandya inscriptions date from Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Veerapandiyan, Jataavarman Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Sundarapaandiyan (1251-1268 CE) and Maaravarman Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Veerakeralanaagiya Kulashekara Pandiyan (1268-1308 CE). Pallava inscriptions are available for king Avani Aala Pirandhaan Ko-pperum-Singha (1216-1242 CE). Vijayanagara Kings mentioned in inscriptions are Veeraprathaapa Kiruttina Theva Mahaaraayar (1509-1529 CE), Veeraprathaapa Venkata Deva Mahaaraayar, Sri Ranga Theva Mahaaraayar, Atchyutha Deva Mahaaraayar (1529-1542 CE) and Veera Bhooopathiraayar. One of the inscriptions from the descendant of Cheramaan Perumal nayanar, Ramavarma Maharaja has been found.

Temple Car

The Chidambaram temple car is used for processions twice a year, where it is drawn by several thousand devotees during the festivals. There are five temple cars, with the biggest one for Lord Nataraja. The main deity in the sanctum santorum will be taken out on the procession, unlike the other temples where Utsava idols are generally taken out. The four feet idols of Lord Nataraja and Goddess Shivakama Sundari, adorned with precious gem-studded jewellery and flowers, are taken out of the main sanctum amidst a grand number of devotees in a golden platforms. Fifties of men hold the huge wooden log connected to the platform making a circumbulation around the Chitsaba, before being taken out to the temple car. After the procession across four car streets, the deities are taken in a similar fashion to the Rajasabha at night, where Laksharchana happens (chanting the 1000 names of Lord Nataraja by 100 priests; laksha - 1 lakh). The next day, before dawn, the deities are bathed with holy products. Unlike other temples, the holy bathing ritual goes for 4–5 hours which consists of several products like milk, holy ash, turmeric, curd, honey, rose water sugarcane juice, fruits, flowers, coconut water. For every Mahabisheka during Margazhi festival, Swarnabhisheka is done (bath with golden coins). After abisheka, Lord Nataraja and Goddess Shivakama Sundari offers ROYAL DARSHAN to devotees in the Rajasabha (the royal hall). Around late afternoon, the deities are taken inside temple in a grandeur manner, which forms the prime Arudhra Darshan (Margazhi festival) or Uttra Darshan (Aani Thirumanjanam festival). These two annual festivals coincidence with Winter and Summer solstice (of Northern Hemisphere), respectively.

Significance of the architecture

The temple sanctum contains a silver sculpture of Shiva in his Ānanda-tāṇḍava Nataraja aspect. It signifies: * The demon under Lord Nataraja's feet signifies that ignorance is under His feet. Storl 2004, p. 140 * The fire in His hand (power of destruction) means He is the destroyer of evil. * The raised hand (''Abhaya'' or ''Pataka mudra'') signifies that He is the savior of all life forms. * The arc of fire called ''Thiruvashi'' or ''Prabhavati'' signifies the cosmos and the perpetual motion of the earth. * The drum in His hand signifies the origin of life forms. * The lotus pedestal signifies Om, the sound of the universe. * His right eye, left eye and third eye signify the sun, moon and fire/knowledge, respectively. * His right earring (''makara kundalam'') and left earring (''sthri kundalam'') signify the union of man and woman (right is man, left is woman). * The crescent moon in His hair signifies benevolence and beauty. * The flowing of river

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

through His matted hair signifies eternity of life. * The dreading of His hair and drape signify the force of His dance.

Bhakti movement

There is no reference to the temple in

Sangam literature The Sangam literature (Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam'';) historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ'') connotes ...

of the 1st to 5th centuries and the earliest mention is found in 6th-century

Tamil literature Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from T ...

. The temple and the deity were immortalized in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

poetry in the works of ''

Thevaram Thevaram is a town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thevaram is located in Tamil Nadu near on border of Kerala at the Eastern side foot-hill of the Western Ghats. It is connected with State Highway SH100. Farming is main o ...

'' by three poet saints belonging to the 7th century -

Thirugnana Sambanthar Sambandar (Tamil: சம்பந்தர்), also referred to as Tirugnana Sambandar (lit. ''Holy Sage Sambandar''), Tirujnanasambanda, Campantar or Jñāṉacampantar, was a Shaiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived sometime in the 7th cen ...

Thirunavukkarasar Appar, also referred to as ( ta, திருநாவுக்கரசர்) or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Śaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Śaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is ...

and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar. Jones 2007, p. 107 Thirugnana Sambanthar has composed 2 songs in praise of the temple, Thirunavukkarasar aka Appar 8 Tevarams in praise of Nataraja and Sundarar 1 song in praise of Nataraja. Sundarar commences his ''Thiruthondar thogai'' (the sacred list of Lord Shiva's 63 devotees) paying his respects to the priests of the Thillai temple - "To the devotees of the priests at Thillai, I am a devotee". The works of the first three saints, Thirumurai were stored in palm leaf manuscripts in the temple and were recovered by the Chola King

Rajaraja Chola Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...

under the guidance of Nambiandarnambi.

Manikkavasagar Manikkavacakar, or Maanikkavaasagar ''(Tamil: மாணிக்கவாசகர், "One whose words are like gems")'', was a 9th-century Tamil saint and poet who wrote '' Tiruvasakam'', a book of Shaiva hymns. Speculated to have been a mini ...

, the 10th-century ''saivite'' poet has written two works, the first called

Tiruvasakam ''Thiruvasagam'' ( ta, திருவாசகம், tiruvācakam, translit-std=IAST, lit=sacred utterance) is a volume of Tamil hymns composed by the ninth century Shaivite '' bhakti'' poet Manikkavasagar. It contains 51 compositions and co ...

(The sacred utterances) which largely has been sung in Chidambaram and the ''Thiruchitrambalakkovaiyar'' (aka Thirukovaiyar), which has been sung entirely in the temple. Manikkavasagar is said to have attained spiritual bliss at Chidambaram. The Chidambaram Mahatmiyam composed during the 12th century explain the subsequent evolution and de-sanskritization. Kulke 2004, p. 145

Rituals

A unique feature of this temple is the bejeweled image of Lord Nataraja as the main deity. It depicts Lord Shiva as the master of

Koothu Koothu or Therukoothu (jwalith) ( ta, கூத்து), is an ancient art, where artists play songs with dance and music in storytelling the epics, performed in Tamil; it is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. More precisel ...

Bharata Natyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

and is one of the few temples where Lord Shiva is represented by an anthropomorphic

murthi In the Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' ( sa, मूर्ति, mūrti, ) is a devotional image such as a statue, or "idol" (a common and non-pejorative term in Indian English), of a deity or saint. In Hindu temples, it is a symbolic icon. T ...

rather than the classic, aniconic

Lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...

. At Chidambaram, the dancer dominates, not the linga as in other Shiva shrines. The Chitsabha houses a small spatik (crystal) linga (Chandramoulisvara), believed to be a piece that fell from the crescent adorning Lord Shiva's head and installed by

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

. Daily puja is offered to the spatik linga (six times) and also to a small emerald figure of Nataraja called Ratnasabhapati (once, at 10-30 am). The main sanctum also encloses Chidambara Rahasya - the divine chakra adorned with golden vilva leaves. This remains hidden and only during the pooja times (six times in a day), Rahasya Darshan will be offered to the devotees. Rahasya emanates the vastness and formlessness of Akash, the divinity that is the highest form of Supremacy (ether form of five elements).

Festivals

A whole year for men is said to be a single day for the gods. Just as six poojas are performed in a day at the sanctum sanctorum, six anointing ceremonies are performed for the principal deity –

in a year. They are the Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai (in December–January) indicating the first puja, the fourteenth day after the new moon ( Chaturdashi) of the month of Masi (February–March) indicating the second pooja, the Chittirai Thiruvonam (in April–May), indicating the third pooja or uchikalam, the Uthiram of Aani (June–July) also called the Aani Thirumanjanam indicating the evening or the fourth puja, the chaturdasi of Aavani (August–September) indicating the fifth puja and the chaturdasi of the month of Puratasi (October–November) indicating the sixth pooja or Arthajama. Of these the Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai (in December–January) and the Aani Thirumanjanam (in June–July) are the most important. These are conducted as the key festivals with the main deity being brought outside the sanctum sanctorum in a procession that included a temple car procession followed by a long anointing ceremony. Let's Go, Inc 2004, p. 597 Several hundreds of thousands of people flock the temple to see the anointing ceremony and the ritualistic dance of Shiva when he is taken back to the sanctum sanctorum. Lord Shiva, in his incarnation of Nataraja, is believed to have born on full moon day in the constellation of ''Ardra'', the sixth lunar mansion. Lord Shiva is bathed only 6 times a year, and on the previous night of ''Ardra'', the bath rituals are performed on a grand scale. Sastri 2002, pp. 2-9 Pots full of milk, pomegranate juices, coconut water, ghee, oil, sandal paste, curds, holy ashes, and other liquids and solids, considered as sacred offering to the deity are used for the sacred ablution.

Administration

The temple was originally administered by an exclusive group of Brahmins who were called the ''Thillai Muvayiravar'' or the ''Three Thousand of Thillai''.

Kulottunga Chola I Kulottunga I (;1025 CE - 1122 CE) also spelt Kulothunga (), was a Chola Emperor who reigned from 1070 CE to 1122 CE succeeding his cousin Athirajendra Chola. He also served as the Eastern Chalukya king from 1061 CE to 1118 CE, succeeding his f ...

, during his rule, introduced priests from

Vengi Vengi (or Venginadu) is a delta region spread over the Krishna and Godavari River, (also called Godavari and Krishna districts), the region is also known as Godavari Delta, that used to house world famous diamond mines in the Medieval period ...

, his original homeland to perpetuate the myth of the ''Tillai three thousand'' in order to legitimize his royal and priestly power. Currently, the temple is managed by a community known as

Dikshitar Dīkṣitars (Tamil: தீக்ஷிதர்) or Thillai Vazh Anthaanar are a Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu who are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram. Smartha (especially the Vadamas), Sri Vaishnava and othe ...

s. They live in

and also serve as the hereditary trustees of the temple. Every Dikshitar once he is married becomes as of right a trustee and ''archaka'' of the temple. A practice unique to the community is that the priests wear the tuft of hair in front of the head similar to the

Nambuthiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...

Brahmans of

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *Dehejia, V. (1997). ''Indian Art''. Phaidon: London. . * * * *Harle, J.C., ''The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent'', 2nd edn. 1994, Yale University Press Pelican History of Art, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Adalvallan - Encyclopaedia of Adalvallan in Puranas, - Yantras, Poojas- Silpa and Natya Sastras, compiled by Adheena Mahavidhvan Sri S Dhandapani Desikar, and published by The Thrivavaduthurai Adheenam, Saraswathi Mahal Library and Research Centre, Thiruvavaduthurai, Tamil Nadu, India 609803 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Shiva as 'Cosmic Dancer': On Pallava Origins for the Nataraja Bronze
Sharada Srinivasan (2004)
The Great Ārdrā Darśanam Festival: Performing Śaiva Ritual Texts in Contemporary Chidambaram
Aleksandra Wenta (2013)
The Citamparam Temple Complex and Its Evolution
Paul Younger (1986) {{Hindudharma Pancha Sabhai Pancha Bhoota Stalam Padal Petra Stalam Shiva temples in Cuddalore district Chola architecture Temples with Bharatanatyam Karanas

Legend

Location

History

Invasions

Legend

Description

Architecture

Towers: gopurams

Artwork on the gopuram

Shrines

Shaivism

Shaktism

Vaishnavism

Others

Halls: sabha

Nritta sabha

Raja sabha: 1,000 pillar hall

Shatasila sabha: 100 pillar hall

Deva sabha

Temple tanks

Inscriptions

Temple Car

Significance of the architecture

Bhakti movement

Rituals

Festivals

Administration

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links