Hello beings of this beautiful planet. Thanks for stopping by!
We were 3 down with two more temples to go.
Tamil Nadu is dotted with temples. Innumerable temples, for which cities like Kumbakonam and Kanchipuram are renowned. In addition to the 5-element temples, we had hoped to visit others in the vicinity, time permitting. More about that at the end of this post.
Shivohie & I, dressed in cream at Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram.
At Chidamabaram, we were now approximately 230 km away from Chennai. The next pancha bhoota temple we were to visit was the Natraja Temple, also known as the Thillai Nataraja Temple. Lord Shiva manifested himself as the sky (akasha) element there. Unlike other temples, Lord Shiva here is represented by an idol of the dancing Shiva, i.e., Nataraja, rather than the Lingam. An idol of Nataraja, Lord Shiva in a cosmic dancer position, is installed in a golden-rooted sanctum sanctorum. The main deity here is “space”.
If you look closely, you will find Natraja surrounded by a circle of flames, holding a damru in one hand and fire in the other, a reference to the endless cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction. The damru in his right hand represents the primordial sound of “OM”, from which the universe was created. The fire in his left hand is the fire of transformation; the demon under his foot is nothing but our ignorance and ego. The raised left foot represents liberation, the circle of flames represents the unending cycle of life and death. There is more. The serpent coiled around Nataraja’s neck, his hands, Ganga in the hair, everything possesses a deeper meaning.
The temple has a “Chidambara Rahasyam”, a space in the sanctum sanctorum covered by a veil and opened only on special occasions. We weren’t aware of this, else we could have at least enquired about it.
The Dravidian architecture, with pillared halls and intricate sculptures, is colourful with elements from nature depicted on the walls. The lotus flower on the ceiling at the entrance of the temple reminded me of the Golden ratio or the fractal pattern that exists in everything that exists in nature.
The temple was crowded; however, we found space to sit and meditate, attempting to connect with all that is. Praying to God to give us the courage and wisdom to walk our path in life. To enjoy the cosmic dance with awareness and acceptance. To invite in that stillness that Shiva represents and merge with the energy, we know as Maa Shakti. Balance.
Fun facts-
- The name Chidambaram means “Hall of Wisdom,” or pure consciousness.
- Nataraja Temple lies at the Centre Point of Earth’s Magnetic Equator.
- The Thillai Nataraja temple has 9 gateways, which signify the 9 holes/ openings present in the human body. The temple’s roof is formed of 21,600 gold sheets depicting 21,600 breaths (15 x 60 x 24 = 21600) taken by a person in a single day. It is fixed with 72,000 golden nails representing the 72,000 visible and invisible nerves present in the human body.
- In Tamil, day-to-day language, Chidambara Rahasyam, is a well-known idiom. When someone hides their intention, or is secretive, people might ask, “Is this some kind of Chidambara Rahasyam?”
Next coming up in this Pancha Bhoota series – Shiva temple representing the water element (Jala) is the Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval, Tamil Nadu. Stay tuned!
Travelling inward, wandering outward.
With travel stories that go deeper than what meets the eye
Priyaa
P.S
We visited Vaitheeswaran Koil (temple) on our way to Chidambaram. One of the 9 planets (nava grahas), associated with planet Mars, Vaitheeswaran, meaning the “God of healing”, is a Shiva temple and is believed to cure diseases. The village is also known for palm leaf astrology called Naadi astrology in Tamil. For the uninitiated, you must experience Naadi astrology at least once. It will surely impress you beyond words. Word of caution – treat it just like how you would look at a Google Map; it shows different routes, the traffic, delays, etc., but that doesn’t stop you from moving and reaching your destination. So look at the Naadi Astrology similarly. You get the drift?
We also visited Thillai Kali Amman Temple. When we walked in, this fierce-looking deity with 4 faces was being adorned with red sindoor. Post the puja, the priest gave us lemons. Back home, I made lemon juice with the same and gave it to all my family members as prasad.
