Chidambaram Nataraja Temple in the state of Tamil Nadu in India is one of the major and big temples of Shiva in India. At a size of 40 acres, it is famed to house the Akasha Lingam, which is among the five elemental lingams associated with the sky. This outstanding example of Chola temple architecture is a fantastic tower filled gopurams (gateway towers) and sculpted intricately. It is a special religious place in which Lord Shiva is revered in three aspects namely as Nataraja (the dancer of the universe), Spatika Lingam (crystal linga) and as the Chidambaram Rahasyam (an allegorical representation of the formless sky).
The article gives an insider tour of the temple, its history, architecture, and timelines to be followed on visiting the temple, and one should start the visit early in the morning i.e., 5:40 AM in order to have a brief experience of the darshan (sacred viewing) without large crowds. The temple is open at 6: 00 AM, both the Telugu speaking visitors and devotees come together in the entrance. The Easiest entry point is the East Entrance, but there are four entrances that are namely East, West, North, and South Entrance. The initial courtyard is the East Entrance where it is very spacious and has no features which proceed to the magnificent East Gopuram.
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An Overview of the temple
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Area | 40 acres |
| Main Deity | Lord Shiva as Nataraja, Spatika Lingam, and Chidambaram Rahasyam |
| Significance | Houses the Akasha Lingam, one of the Panchabhuta Lingams (sky element) |
| Temple Timings | 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM |
| Architectural Highlight | Four seven-story gopurams, 108 dance poses of Natya Shastra on East Gopuram |
| Unique Feature | Magnetic center of the Earth at Nataraja’s left big toe, confirmed by scientists |
| Other Deities | Lord Vishnu as Govindaraja Perumal, Parvati as Shivakami Sundari |
The Gopurams: Marvels of architecture
It has four seven story gopuram, all of the same height, the South Indian temples rarely have these. East Gopuram is covered with the sculpture of 108 poses of dancing through the Natya Shastra, as well as of greeting priests. The other gopurams are decorated with elaborate works of sculpture of the incarnations of Shiva, gods, sages and scholars, which are regularly painted in order to retain their colour. The South Gopuram looks at a huge statue of Nandi, and there are two temples in its vicinity Krishna and Subrahmanya temples. The West Gopuram directly provides the entry to the sanctum whereas the North Gopuram is near the Shivagami Amman temple and the Shivaganga tank.
At the Temple Within
The visitors are welcomed by a large courtyard comprising of granite pillars that look like wood and richly carved in Vedic text images. The architecture of the temple is human-like such that the temple has 9 points of entry which are representative of the nine orifices.
Nataraja, the idol of the main sanctum, which is made of golden tiles, is scientifically proven to represent the magnetic center of the Earth in all ways given that the left big toe of the idol holds its magnetic center. The research conducted on this issue spans eight years. The sanctum is introduced through morning aarti (ritual offering), and darshan at the Govindaraja Perumal (Vishnu) sanctum which is unusual and Shiva is as well worshipped as Vishnu.
There are five main halls (sabhas) at the temple:
Kanaka Sabha: It opens only during aarti.
Chit Sabha: Sculpture, the Nataraja, Spatika Lingam and Chidambaram Rahasyam (a wall with a chakra and a bunch of bilva golden leaves, symbolizing the formless sky, manifested four times per day).
Nitya Sabha: has 56 pillars of carved marble and the statue of Shaila of his victory over Parvati in a dance contest.
Deva Sabha and Rajasabha: They are open only on festivals.