The temple home of Chidambaram is Tamil Nadu’s best kept secret. Situated in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram lies around 200 km from the capital city of Chennai.
Synonymous with ancient temples and vibrant festivities, the town ranks high in terms of immense religious significance, rich culture and vital tradition.
The town was rule by the Cholas, Pandyas, Marathas and finally the British and is currently thriving on religious tourism.
In the town, lies the Chidambaram temple, also known as the Thillai Nataraja Temple, which is literally the soul of Chidambaram.
The magnificent temple is one among the five holiest temples of Lord Shiva or Pancha Bootha Sthalas.
The temple is a mammoth structure and an architectural marvel, which you should visit at least once in your lifetime!
Fascinating Facts About Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram
Bhagwan Shiva
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Thillai Nataraja Temple is of immense religious significance for the followers of Shaivism making it an extremely popular pilgrimage destination in the South of India.
Ananda Tandava
Lord Shiva is depict in the form of a ‘Linga’ which is the classic and most commonly found form.
This temple, the highlight is that Shiva is depict in dancing form and is seen performing “Ananda Tandava”, which translates to “dance of delight”.
Bhagwan Shiva and Bhagwan Vishnu
Chidambaram temple is one of the rare temples dedicate to both the Shaivite and Vaishnavite deities.
Lord Govindaraja Perumal too is worship here.
History
Synonymous with rich history, the ancient temple has undergone several renovations during the reign of various dynasties like the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras and what stands tall today is the structure of 12th-13th century.
It is definitely an architectural masterpiece
Architecture
The massive temple structure has nine gateways and four of these are adorn by “gopurams” or towers that are decorate with highly exquisite and intricate carvings.
There are five elaborate halls in the temple of which the Raja Sabha or the 1000-pillared hall is one of the most splendid features of the temple.
In Tamil, there’s a popular saying, “gopuram darisanam kodi punyam”, which translates to “sight of a temple tower is worth 10 million pious activities.”
How to Reach Chidambaram?
Chidambaram is very well connect by airways, railways and roadways.
The nearest airports to the town are those located in Tiruchirapalli, 165 km away and Chennai, which is a little over 200 km away.
The temple town is well connect by train with major South Indian cities and towns in Tamil Nadu.
There are also a number of private and public buses that ply from major cities and towns of South India to Chidambaram.
Time to Visit
The best time to visit the town is between November and February due to the pleasant weather and the annual temple festivities in the Shiva temple.
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