Chidambaram is one of the most ancient
and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious
as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is
associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose
(the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the
hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). Shiva is also worshipped in
the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while
the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva
as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in
the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram
Nataraja temple.
History:
The origins
of this vast temple are buried in antiquity. Literature talks
of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja) worship in existence even as
early as the Sangam period (very early on in the Christian era),
and the Tamil Saints have sung its fame when an established worship
tradition was in place. The later Chola Kings (Aditya I and Parantaka
I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola
Kings treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several
endowments to the temple as temple inscriptions testify. The Pandya
Kings who followed them, and the later Vijayanagar rulers made
several endowments to the temple. There is a stone image of Krishnadevaraya
in the North Gopura which he is said to have erected. In the wars
of the 18th century, this temple was used as a fort, especially
when the British General Sir Eyre Coote unsuccesfully tried to
capture it from the Mysore Kings. During this period, the images
of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were housed in the Tiruvarur Tyagaraja
temple for safety
Muthuswamy Deekshitar, one of the foremost composers
in the Karnatic Music tradition sings the glory of this temple
in his kriti 'Ananda Natana Prakasam'. The Alwar Poems of the
Naalayira Divya Prabandam sing the glory of Vishnu, whose image
is also housed in this temple, and his shrine is referred to as
'Tiruchitrakootam'. Adi Sankara is said to have presented a Spatika
Lingam which is still under worship in this temple. Sekkizhaar's
Periya Puranam, describing poetically the life of the Saivite
Saints (63 in number) was composed in the 1000 pillared hall,
and was expounded by the author himself in the presence of the
Chola emperor Kulottunga II, who had comissioned the work, amidts
great festivity and fanfare.
Each of the four most revered Saivite Saints (Appar, Sundarar,
Sambandar and Manikkavacakar) has worshipped at Chidambaram, and
the bulk of Manikkavacakar's work is in praise of Shiva at Chidambaram.
Accordingly, their images are placed in the temple entrances corresponding
to their points of entry into the temple. (Sambandar - South,
Appar - West, Sundarar - North and Manikkavacakar - East).
Legends associated with this temple: Aadi Sesha, the serpent (couch)
of Vishnu, heard from Vishnu the grandeur of Shiva's cosmic dance.
Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance in person
at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the
one who descended). Vyagrapaadar, another devotee of Shiva prayed
to obtain the tiger's claws so that he could obtain with ease
the sacred Vilva leaves meant for Shiva's worship at Chidambaram.
At the appointed hour, Shiva (with Sivakami) granted to Patanjali
and Vyagrapaadar, a visual treat in the form of his Cosmic Dance
of Bliss, to the accompaniments of music played by several divine
personalities in the Hindu pantheon. This Dance of Bliss is said
to have been witnessed by Vishnu, and there is a Govindaraja shrine
in the Natarajar temple commemorating this. The dance of bliss
of Shiva, is also said to have been enacted upon Shiva's (Bhikshatana)
victory over the married ascetics of Daruka Vanam
Yet another legend, commemorating the dance duel between the doyens
of dance Shiva and Kali is associated with Chidambaram. Shiva
is said to have lifted his left foot towards the sky in the Urdhuva
Tandava posture, a definite male gesture, which out of adherence
to protocol, Kaali could not reciprocate, thereby causing Shiva
to emerge victorious, delegating Kaali to the status of a primary
deity in another temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram. This
legend is portrayed in the Nritta Sabha, one of the halls within
the Chidambaram temple.
There is another recent legend associated with this temple. The
sacred Tamil works of the Nayanmaars had been missing for several
years, and it was during the period of Raja Raja Chola (the builder
of the Grand temple at Tanjavur) that formal research was initiated
to trace these fine works of devotional literature. These works
of the Saivite Saints - rich in musical content were recovered
in a dilapidated state in one of the chambers in this vast temple,
after the monarch brought images of the Saint trinity in procession
to the temple.
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