Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

Thillai Nataraja Temple
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
A view of north-side gopuram and pond of the temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictCuddalore District
DeityNataraja (Shiva)
Location
LocationChidambaram
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia
Geographic coordinates11°23′58″N 79°41′36″E / 11.39944°N 79.69333°E / 11.39944; 79.69333
Architecture
TypeChola architecture
CreatorCholas, Pandyas
InscriptionsTamil [2][3]

Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja, the form of Shiva as the lord of dance (cosmic dancer). This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple has ancient roots and a Shiva shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai.[4][5] Chidambaram, the name of the city literally means "stage of consciousness". The temple is Commonly called "Koil" (The Temple) in Tamil Shaivism Tradition. The architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine.[6][7][8] The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance.[4][6] it is the only Shiva temple common to both the Pancha Sabha Thalam and the Pancha Bhuta Thalam.

The present temple was renovated into current form on 10th century when Chidambaram was the one of the main cities of Chola dynasty. As per the Thiruvalangadu Copper plate inscriptions the Golden roof of the shrine was constructed by Parantaka Chola I during 9th CE. The temple is metioned in 7th CE Thevaram and Thiruvasagam Hymns making it older than Medieval Cholas. Cholas revered Nataraja as their family deity,[9] as per Periyapuranam Cholas got crowned in this temple. This 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.[10] While Shiva as Nataraja is the primary deity of the temple, it reverentially presents major themes from Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and other traditions of Hinduism. The Chidambaram temple complex, for example, has the earliest known Amman or Devi temple in South India, a pre-13th-century Surya shrine with chariot, shrines for Ganesha, Murugan and Vishnu, one of the earliest known Shiva Ganga sacred pools, large mandapas for the convenience of pilgrims (choultry, ambalam or sabha) and other monuments.[11][12] Shiva himself is presented as the Nataraja performing the Ananda Tandava ("Dance of Delight") in the golden hall of the shrine Pon Ambalam.[13]

The temple is one of the five elemental lingas in the Shaivism pilgrimage tradition, and considered the subtlest of all Shiva temples (Kovil) in Hinduism.[6] It is also a site for performance arts, including the annual Natyanjali dance festival on Maha Shivaratri.[14]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Prentiss2000p100 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ B. Natarajan; Balasubrahmanyan Ramachandran (1994). Tillai and Nataraja. Mudgala Trust. pp. 24, 255–257, 473–474., Quote: "A local Sanskrit inscription found on the eastern wall..."
  3. ^ E Hultsch (1983). South Indian Inscriptions: Tamil inscriptions of Rajaraja, Rajendra-Chola, and others in the Rajarajesvara Temple at Tanjavur. Government Press. p. 231.
  4. ^ a b Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5.
  5. ^ Pal 1988, p. 19
  6. ^ a b c James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.
  7. ^ Donald Frederick Lakh; Edwin J. Van Kley (1993). South Asia. University of Chicago Press. pp. 1002–1003. ISBN 978-0-226-46754-2.
  8. ^ Chidambaram, Encyclopædia Britannica
  9. ^ Harle 1994, pp. 292–304, 311–313
  10. ^ Harle 1994, p. 321
  11. ^ Harle 1994, pp. 321-323
  12. ^ Pal 1988, p. 36
  13. ^ Ca Ve 1985
  14. ^ Tracy Pintchman (2007). Women's Lives, Women's Rituals in the Hindu Tradition. Oxford University Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-0-19-803934-1.
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