Chdirambaram Temple

June 13, 2009

Please read this article on Chidambaram TempleChidambaram temple and its symbolism: Saint Thirumoolar, whose legend is intricately woven with Chidambaram, says in his thirumanthiram

mAnudarAkkai vadivu sivalingam mAnudarAkkai vadivu chidambaram

mAnudarAkkai vadivu sadAsivam mAnudarAkkai vadivu thirukkoothe

Meaning: â€œSivalingam is of the form of the human body; So is Chidambaram ; So is Sadasivam ; And so is his divine danceâ€.

The temple has the above five prakaras resembling the sheaths.Nataraja gives dharshan from the sanctum called Chit Sabha with a golden roof. The roof has 26,000 golden tiles (see picture), denoting the number of breaths of a person in a day.

These tiles are fixed to the wooden roof with the help of 72,000 nails depicting the number of nadis (the invisible ducts carrying energy to various parts of the body)As the heart is to the left of the body, the sanctum in Chidambaram is also aligned slightly leftward.On top of the Chit sabha roof, we find nine kalasas (made of copper) depicting the nine shaktis (powers)The roof has 64 cross wooden reapers denoting the 64 arts.The artha mandapa has six pillars denoting the six shastras

The mantapa next to the artha mantapa has eighteen pillars symbolizing the eighteen puranas.There

are five steps leading to the Chit sabha from the Kanaka sabha

depicting the five lettered Panchakshara mantra ( Na ma chi vA ya)The Chit sabha roof is supported by four pillars symbolic of the four Vedas. Symbolism of Nataraja Swamy

1. Natarajaâ€™s dance is said to indicate the five divine acts which are a. Creation . Nataraja dances with a small drum called damarukam in one of his

right hands. Easwra is nada brahmam. He is the origin of all sounds (nadam).This is the seed (vindu) from which the tree of the Universe emanated.

b. Protection (Operation)- In another of the right hands, he shows the â€˜Abhaya Mudraâ€™, meaning he is the kind protector .

c. Destruction; He has fire in one of his left hands , symbolizing destruction. When everything is destroyed by fire, only the ash will remain which the Lord has smeared on his body.

d. The foot which is planted shows the act of hiding

e. The raised foot shows the act of bestowing

Nataraja swamy has the Vigraha ( icon) of Devi Sivakama Sundari to his left . This symbolizes Ardhanareeswara , â€˜

the Lord who has the female as his left halfâ€™. To his right there is a

screen. When the deeparadhana â€“ showing lamps takes place to the swamy

and to the left side , the screen is removed and we see five vertical

long hangings of golden vilva leaves. We see nothing behind it.

Sivakami shows the Saguna Brahman (the God with a form) that

is Nataraja . The Saguna Brahman leads us to the Nirguna Brahman (the

God without form or the God who has formlessness as his form). This is

told as â€˜Chidambara Rahasyamâ€™ by the Dikshitars , who are the traditional pujaris in the temple. Shivaâ€™s dance is called the cosmic dance by many scholars. In Chidambaram, this dance is called â€˜Ananda Tandavaâ€™ Lord

Maha Vishnu also saw the Divine dance. In a nearby mantapa called

Chitrakoota, Maha Vishnu, gives us dharshan in his fully reclining Yoga

Nidra pose on the snake bed. If one stands on a small lotus sculpted on

the floor slab in front of Narayana, one can at the same time see

Nataraja in his right side. Sages

Patanjali and Thirumoolar also saw Natarajaâ€™s dance in Chidambaram.

Their figures are embossed on the Silver doors of the Chit Sabha. I think you enjoyed reading the above. Nataraja Rahasyam is said to have come to Tamilnadu from the Indus

â€“ Saraswati civilization. The Saiva Agamas, which teach tantric

Saivism, reveal much more than the above. Next time you visit

Chidambaram, remember all this, and worship Nataraja who will grant you release from the pains of the worldly life and show you the path of Gnana.

(The pictures have been collected from the net)RamachandranUSA