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Chidambaram · Tamil Nadu

Shri Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

Shri Chidambaram Nataraja Temple (Thillai Nataraja)

Nataraja — Lord of dance; the Akasha-element Shiva

अन्य नाम: Chidambaram Nataraja · Thillai Nataraja · Ananda Nataraja · Akasha-linga

  • 5 Pancha-Bhuta Sthalam
  • 5 Pancha-Sabha kshetra
  • 108 Shiva-Divya-Kshetra
  • 108 Divya Desam
Shri Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
दर्शन समय
06:00 – 22:00
स्वरूप
Akasha-linga
स्थान
Chidambaram · Tamil Nadu
उत्तम ऋतु
October-March best. Arudra Darshanam
काल
Original temple: 10th century

इस मन्दिर की विशेषता

  • 5 Pancha-Bhuta Sthalam (Akasha element)
  • 5 Pancha-Sabha kshetra (Kanaka-Sabha — Chidambaram)
  • 108 Shiva-Divya-Kshetra (Nayanmar Thevaram-extolled)
  • 108 Divya Desam (Vishnu — Govindaraja Perumal also in this temple)
01
मूल विग्रह

मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप

Shri Nataraja (Shiva — Akasha-element among the Pancha-Bhuta sites; performer of the Ananda-Tandava); consort Devi Shivakamasundari

Akasha-linga — no visible linga in the Chit-sabha; empty space behind a curtain (Chidambar Rahasyam); the famous bronze idol of Nataraja in dance pose

सम्प्रदाय: Shaiva (Dikshit Brahmin priest tradition)

02
स्थल-पुराण

कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व

Skanda Purana

Chidambara Mahatmya; Nataraja-tandava narrative

Shiva Purana

Pancha-Bhuta Sthala Mahatmya; Akasha-linga reference

Thevaram (Tamil)

Nayanmars — especially Manikkavachakar's Thiruvachakam and Thirukkovaiyar

संत एवं परम्परा

  • Manikkavachakar (9th century) — one of the 4 Shaiva-Kuravar saints of Chidambaram; composer of Thiruvachakam (51 pad) + Thirukkovaiyar; merged into the Shiva-tattva at Chidambaram
  • Thirugnanasambandar, Appar, Sundarar — 3 principal Nayanmars among the 63; composers of Chidambaram stuti-stotras
  • Vyaghrapada Rishi and Patanjali — adi-rishis of Chidambaram; tapasya for the darshan of Nataraja-tandava
  • Rajaraja Chola I (985-1014) and Rajendra Chola I (1014-1044) — principal construction-patrons

ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम

  1. 95010th century — Chola dynasty construction of the main temple — Wikipedia Nataraja Temple Chidambaram
  2. 110011th-12th century — gopuram and mandapa expansion by Vikrama Chola and Kulottunga Chola II — Wikipedia
  3. 1500Further expansion in the Vijayanagara and Nayak eras — Wikipedia
03
नित्य उपासना

दर्शन समय एवं आरती

06:00 से 22:00 तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम 12:00-16:30 (midday rest)

Palli-eluchi / Ushatkalam (morning awakening)06:00-07:00
Daily
Kalasandhi07:30-09:00
Daily
Uchchi-kalam (midday)10:00-12:00
Daily
Evening puja (Sayarakshai)16:30-18:00
Daily
Irandamkalam18:30-20:00
Daily
Ardha-jama puja (shayana)21:00-22:00
Daily

Last puja of the day — special moment of Chidambar Rahasyam darshan

04
दर्शन

दर्शन के प्रकार

General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
समय
06:00-12:00 and 16:30-22:00
उपयुक्त
All devotees

Nataraja and Chidambar Rahasyam darshan is free.

05
उत्सव

प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव

Nataraja Brahmotsavam — Arudra Darshanam (Margazhi)Tamil Margazhi month, Arudra nakshatra (December-January)

The supreme festival of the year — 10-day Brahmotsavam; Nataraja-Ananda-tandava darshan; grand rath-yatra; lakhs of devotees

Aippasi Brahmotsavam (October-November)Tamil Aippasi month, Pooradam nakshatra

10-day second Brahmotsavam

MahashivratriPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi

4-prahar puja; 2026 — 15 February

Thai-PoosamTamil Thai month, Poosam nakshatra

Joint Nataraja and Murugan festival

06
आस्था

मनोकामना एवं फल

Akasha-tattva dhyana and Brahma-jnana

Chidambar Rahasyam = darshan of formless Brahman; meditation on the Akasha-tattva; Advaita-jnana-pitha

स्रोत: Manikkavachakar Thiruvachakam + Patanjali Nataraja-stotra

Akasha-tirtha of the 5 Pancha-Bhuta yatra

Supreme tirtha of the Pancha-Bhuta yatra; the gross-darshan of the Akasha-element

स्रोत: Pancha-Bhuta Sthala tradition

Nritya-kala and sangeet-siddhi

Nataraja is the adhishthata of dance; the beloved deity of artists and dancers

स्रोत: Tamil Shaiva tradition

5 Pancha-Sabha kshetra yatra (Kanaka-Sabha)

Chidambaram is the Kanaka-Sabha site among the 5 Pancha-Sabhas; the other 4: Madurai Rajata-Sabha, Kuttralam Chitra-Sabha, Tirunelveli Tamra-Sabha, Tiruvalangadu Ratna-Sabha

स्रोत: Tamil Shaiva tradition

07
जप

मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र

  • Nataraja Stotram (composed by Patanjali)StotraComposed by Maharishi Patanjaliइस मन्दिर हेतु
  • Thiruvachakam (Manikkavachakar)Stotra collection (Tamil)9th-century Manikkavachakar — 51 padइस मन्दिर हेतुComposed at Chidambaram; foundational text of Shaiva Siddhanta
  • Shivananda LahariStotraAdi Shankaracharya
  • Om Namah ShivayaMantraYajurveda
08
तीर्थाटन

समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ

Govindaraja Perumal Temple (108 Divya Desam)100 मी

Joint Vishnu-Shiva temple — unique; included among the 108 Divya Desam

Thillai Kali Amman Temple1 किमी

Thillai Kali, the original goddess of Nataraja; site of the Nataraja-dance contest narrative

Vyaghrapada + Patanjali tapovan500 मी

Tapasya-site of Vyaghrapada Rishi (tiger-footed) and Patanjali (serpent-form)

Thanjavur Brihadeshwara Temple (UNESCO)90 किमी

Rajaraja I's supreme Chola temple; combined yatra of Tamil Nadu Shiva-Dham

5 Pancha-Bhuta Sthalam yatra

Akasha-element (supreme tattva); others 4: Ekambareshwar (Earth), Jambukeshwar (Water), Arunachaleshwar (Fire), Srikalahasti (Wind)

5 मंदिर

5 Pancha-Sabha kshetra (Nataraja-tandava)

Kanaka-Sabha (golden hall) — supreme; others 4: Madurai Rajata-Sabha, Kuttralam Chitra-Sabha, Tirunelveli Tamra-Sabha, Tiruvalangadu Ratna-Sabha

5 मंदिर

108 Shiva-Divya-Kshetra

Nayanmar Thevaram-extolled — the supreme kshetra

108 मंदिर

Tamil Nadu Shiva-Dham yatra (Chidambaram + Madurai + Tiruvannamalai + Rameshwaram)

Foremost among the South's 4 principal Shiva-Dhams (Akasha-element)

4 मंदिर

09
मार्गदर्शन

यात्रा एवं संपर्क

पता
Arulmigu Sabanayagar Thirukoyil (Chidambaram Nataraja), Chidambaram — 608001, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu
हवाई अड्डा
Trichy Airport (TRZ) — ~160 km; Chennai (MAA) — ~245 km; Puducherry (PNY) — ~70 km
रेलवे
Chidambaram Railway Station (CDM) — ~1.5 km from the temple
उत्तम ऋतु
October-March best. Arudra Darshanam (December) peak.
वेबसाइट
https://tnhrce.gov.in ↗
1.5 किमीChidambaram Station
70 किमीPondicherry
70 किमीKumbakonam
90 किमीThanjavur
160 किमीTrichy
270 किमीMadurai
245 किमीChennai
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