The famous Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, enshrining the image of the Cosmic Dancer, is the foremost of the 275 Padal Petra Sthalam or temples praised by the Nayanmars or important devotees of Siva. Many Nayanmars like Nandanar, Appar, Thirugnanasambandar, Sundaramurti, Aiyadigal Kadavarkon, Kanampulla Nayanar, Kocchenganan and Thirunilakanta Nayanar have been associated with this temple. This sacred place is one of the Pancha Bhuta Sthalams where Siva is associated with the five elements of nature and the deity is worshipped as Akasha (Space) Linga.
The Sthala Puranam (traditional story) of this temple mentions that Sages Patanjali and Vyaghrapada performed penance in the Thillai (mangrove) forest to the Lingam now worshipped as Thirumulanathar to have a darshan of God Nataraja who appeared before them. The dance competition between Siva and Kali which the former won after performing the Urdhava tandavam is an important episode here. Nataraja is seen in this posture in a small sanctum called Nritta Sabha. This temple is one of the five Sabhas or dance-halls and is called Kanaka Sabha or Ponambalam (hall of gold). The roof of the sanctum was originally covered with gold by Parantaka Chola I in the 10th century CE. Parvati, worshipped as Sivakamasundari is enshrined in a separate large sanctum. Sculptures of dancers and musicians and 17th-century paintings are seen here.
This temple is one among the 108 Divya Desam or Vishnu temples praised by the Azhvars or the 12 important Vaishnava devotees. Kulasekhara Azhvar and Thirumangai Azhvar have composed Tamil verses praising Vishnu enshrined here as Govindaraja Perumal. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as Pundarikavalli Thayar.
This temple has four exquisite gopurams, mostly belonging to the Chola times, each of which has stone sculptures of the 108 karanas or dance movements mentioned in the famous text Natya Sastra of Bharata Muni (Sage Bharata). The karana sculptures on the west and east gopurams also have accompanying inscriptions of the exact verses of those particular karanas from the Natya Sastra written next to them.
Chithra Madhavan
cityexpresschn@gmail.com
The writer is a historian who focuses on temple architecture