Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram or Chidambaram Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the town of Chidambaram, East-Central Tamil Nadu, South India. The temple is known as the foremost of all temples (Kovil) to Saivites and has influenced worship, architecture, sculpture, and performance art for over two millennia. The Sangam classics list chief architect Viduvelvidugu Perumtaccan as directing an early renovation of the shrine.
A major shrine of Lord Shiva worship since the classical period, there have been several renovations and offerings to Chidambaram by the Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara, and Chera royals in the ancient and pre-medieval periods. Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, as it stands now, is mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, with later additions in a similar style.
It is bronze statues and stone sculptures depicting various deities and the famous Thillai trees (Excoecaria agallocha) of the surrounding forest reflect the highpoints of early Chola and Pallava art while its famed gold-plated gopuram towers are medieval structural additions by the royals Aditya I, Parantaka Chola I, Kopperunchinga I, Krishnadevaraya, and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan. King Kocengannan Chola was born following prayers his parents offered at the temple and later in his life he refined its structure. The shrine gave the town its name.
History of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
According to legend, Lord Shiva was strolling through the Thillai Vanam, when he saw a group of rishis. The sages believed in magic and believed that the gods could be controlled by magic and rituals. Lord Shiva walked through the forest, disguised as a Bhikshatana ( a mendicant seeking alms), followed by Vishnu disguised as Mohini, his consort.
The sages and their wives were enchanted on seeing the beautiful and brilliant mendicant and his consort. The sages were enraged about seeing their wives enchanted. They sent a volley of snakes, conjured up with magic, on the mendicant. Lord Shiva just laughed and wrapped the serpents around his neck and waist.
The sages proceeded to send a fierce tiger toward the mendicant. Lord Shiva just killed the tiger and donned its skin around his waist. The sages then sent an elephant. This also, the Lord killed. The Sages then finally conjured up the demon, Muyalakan. The Lord simply smiled, stepped on the demon's back, and immobilized him. The Lord then performed the Anand Tandav on the demon’s back and revealed his true form. The sages bowed down to the Lord and realized that the Lord was beyond magic and rituals.
Architecture of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple is the only great temple complex to date mainly from the later Chola period, and contains the earliest examples of several features that are found in many later temples, including “the earliest known Dev? or Amman shrine, v?tta (dance) ma??apa, S?rya shrine with chariot wheels, hundred-and-thousand pillared ma??apas, even the first giant ?iva Gang? tank”.
A classical Shiva temple as per Agama rules will have five prakarams (closed precincts of a temple) or circuits each separated by walls one within the other. The outer prakaramwill be open to the sky except for the innermost one. The innermost one will house the main deity as well as other deities. There will be a massive wooden or stone flag post exactly in line with the main deity. The innermost prakaram houses the sanctum sanctorum (karuvarai in Tamil).
