Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

Chidambaram is the principal temple of Shiva as Nataraja, the lord of dance, and its distinguishing feature is the Chidambara Rahasya, the secret of Chidambaram: beside the bronze Nataraja in the sanctum hangs a curtain, and behind it is empty space, representing the formless aspect of the divine as ether, one of the five elemental Shiva sites. The golden-roofed Chit Sabha stands on a raised platform. The gopurams carry a complete sculptural record of the hundred and eight karanas, the basic units of Bharatanatyam as codified in the Natya Shastra, which makes the temple a reference work for the dance form.

History

The town was once called Thillai, after the mangrove of Tillai trees that grew here, and Chidambaram comes from the Tamil Chitrambalam, "atmosphere of wisdom". Sangam-era texts suggest a temple stood here in ancient times, the earliest mention of the "dancing god of Chidambaram" as Shiva comes in 6th- and early 7th-century hymns by Appar and Sambandar, and the present temple was rebuilt in its current form in the 10th century, when Chidambaram was one of the main cities of the Chola dynasty (Wikipedia, Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram).

The main sights

• The empty shrine - the curtained space representing the formless.
• The Nataraja bronze - the dancing Shiva in the golden-roofed hall.
• The 108 karanas - the dance postures carved on the gopuram passages.
• The thousand-pillar hall - the raised mandapa in the complex.

When to go

October to March; the Natyanjali dance festival at Mahashivratri in February or March brings dancers from across India to perform in the temple.

Before you go

The temple is administered by a hereditary priest community with their own rules, and access to the inner areas involves fees and negotiation that visitors find uncomfortable. Photography inside is prohibited. Shirts must be removed by men.

Nearby

Pichavaram mangroves lie east; Kumbakonam is west.

Key facts