It has been more than a day, but my heart and mind are lost in the thoughts of the great temple of #Chidambaram. For devotees of Lord Shiva in Tamil Nadu, this is THE kovil or temple, just like for devotees of Shri Vishnu, Srirangam is THE kovil. This is also one of the few temples in India that is managed by hereditary priests who have served here for hundreds of years.

It was a long cherished dream of mine to get the Darshan of the Lord Of Cosmic Dance, Shri Natarajar of Chidambaram. As you approach the small town of Chidambaram, the tall Gopurams of the temple stand out. What is striking about the Raja Gopurams of Chidambaram is that all four Rajgopurams in four cardinal directions, built at different times, by different rulers, and yet, are uniform in size, structure and form. All are 7-storeyed and 135 feet tall. All have 13 Copper Kalashas crowning them.

Each of the Gopurams have  all the 108 karanas or dance poses of Lord Shiva carved on the inner walls. These Karanas are described in the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni. These postures form the foundation of Bharatanatyam even today.

It is a widely held belief that the main Garbhagriha of Chidambaram IS Lord Shiva himself! The gold-roofed garbhgriha or the Kanaksabha as it is known as, has the Lord manifested in 3 forms :

-  As the Murti of Lord Natarajar, as the Sakala form

-   As the semi-form Crystal lingam, also known as the Sakala nishkala form

-   Completely formless - as the empty Space hidden behind a curtain in the Garbhagriha. It is this empty space that is known as the Chidambara Rahasya or the secret of Chidambaram. 

The golden tiled roof for the Chitrambalam was laid by the Chozha King Parantaka in the 10th century. The roof of the Chitrambalam is made of 21600 gold plates, inscribed with the Panchakshara mantra, held together with 72000 nails. As per Yogic philosophy, humans take 21600 breaths in a day and the prana is spread through the human body through 72000 nadi or veins. King Parantaka describes himself as the ‘bee at the lotus feet of Lord Shiva’ in the inscriptions. The #Chidambaram temple was the coronation temple of the Chozha emperors, with the traditional Deekshitar priests having the right to officiate over the coronation ritual. The Deekshitar priests believe that they were called by Lord Shiva himself from Kailasa to serve him at this temple. 

Even today, the temple is fully managed by the Chidambaram Deekshithars, an ancient sect of Vaidik Brahmins who have been the custodians of this temple since antiquity. This is one of the few popular temples in TN that is not under the grasp of HRNCE. 

For me, visiting #Chidambaram was like being transported to another world, a world where devotion  reigned Supreme. The Chidambara Rahasya is not the empty space in the garbhgriha, it is the act of lifting the veil of illusion, to discover the Lord within. 

(Pics by Diwakar AS, me and some pics sourced via the Internet.)

- Shefali Vaidya