To read part 1 , check this link :
http://hindutradition.blogspot.com/2009/01/chidambaram-nataraja-temple.html
The Legend of Chidambaram and its Significance :
The story begins with the legend of Lord Shiva strolling into Thillai vanam. In the Thillai Vanam resided a group of saints who belived in the supermacy of Magic and that God can be controlled by rituals and 'Mantras' or 'Magical words'.The Lord strolls in the forest assuming the form of Pitchanadaar (a nude mendicant seeking alms.) He is followed by his Consort. The rishi wives were enchanted by the brilliance and the beauty of the handsome mendicant and his consort.
On seeing their womenfolk enchanted, the rishis get enraged and invokes scores of serpents by performing magical rituals. The lord as the mendicant, lifts the serpents and dons them as ornaments on his neck and waist. Further enraged, the rishis invoke a fierce tiger, which the Lord skins and dons as a garment around his waist.
Thoroughly frustrated, the rishis gather all their spiritual strength and invoke a powerful demon Muyalakan. The Lord gently simles and steps on the demon's back, immobilizes him and performs the Ananda Thandava(the dance of eternal bliss)and discloses his true form.The rishis surrender, realizing that this Lord is beyond magic and rituals.
On seeing their womenfolk enchanted, the rishis get enraged and invokes scores of serpents by performing magical rituals. The lord as the mendicant, lifts the serpents and dons them as ornaments on his neck and waist. Further enraged, the rishis invoke a fierce tiger, which the Lord skins and dons as a garment around his waist.
Thoroughly frustrated, the rishis gather all their spiritual strength and invoke a powerful demon Muyalakan. The Lord gently simles and steps on the demon's back, immobilizes him and performs the Ananda Thandava(the dance of eternal bliss)and discloses his true form.The rishis surrender, realizing that this Lord is beyond magic and rituals.
Other shrines in temple :
Apart from the five sabhais are :
- The shrines for the original Shivalinga worshipped by saints Patanjali and Vyagrapadha, called the Thirumoolattaneswarar and his consort Umaiyammai / Umaiya parvathi.
- The Shrines for the (63) Arubathu Moovar prime devotees of Lord shiva
- The shrines for Goddess Sivagami
- The shrines if Lord Ganesha
- The shrines of Lord Muruga
- There are also other small shrines in the temple complex.
The Chidambara Ragasiyam :
The Lord Shiva in his manifestation of formlessness is worshipped in Chidambaram. The Lord is said to continuously dance in a state of eternal bliss "Ananda Thandavam", with his consort Goddess Shivagami and is driagammatically represented by a Yantra on the wall of an empty space in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. A curtain cover this space which when drawn reveals strands of golden Vilva leaves hung to indicate the Lord's presence.The curtain is dark in the exterior, indicating ignorance and brighter red in colour in the interior indicating wisdom and bliss.During the Daily rituals, the chief Priest of the day, himself in a state of godliness- Shivohambhava, withdraws the curtain indicating the withdrawal of ignorance and reveals the space, and the Lord's presence.
Thus, in total surrender, one lets God intervene and remove ignorance, one gets to see and experience his presence and hence bliss.
The Temple's Daily Rituals : The day begins with the chief priest of the day, performing requeried rituals to purify himself and assume the shivohambhava,after which he enters the temple to do the daily rituals of the temple.
The Day commence with the Lord's Padukas (footwear) being brought at 7.00AM from the Palliyarai to the sanctum sanctorum in a palanquin accompanied by devotees with cymbals and chimes and drums. The priest then performs a Yagna. Pooja is done 6 times a day. Before each pooja , the spatika Linga is ointed with Ghee, Milk, Curds, Rice, Sandal paste and Holy ash. This is followed by presenting the neivedhyam to the lord and the deeparaadhana, reciting of Vedas in sanskrit and the Panchapuranam. The Pooja ends with the priest parting the curtain in the sanctum sanctorum to reveal the chidambaram ragasiyam.
Before the Second pooja, apart from regular anointing the Crystal linga, a the Rathinasabhapathy(Ruby Nataraja Deity ) is also ointed.
The Third Pooja is at around 12.00 Noon, after which the temple closes and again opens at around 4.30PM.
The Fourth Pooja is performed at 6.00PM. then the fifth and the sixth pooja are performed at 8.00PM. and 10.00PM. respectively, after which the Lord's Padhukas are taken in a procession for the God to retire for the night.
To Conclude, chidambaram is also been called as Thillai vanam, perumpatrapuliyur or Vyagrapuram. The temple is located at the Lotus heart of the Universe.
