I am always fascinated by the ubiquitous nature of uniquely sacred places in India; most locations have their own accounts of particular deeds and powers of divine beings that reside there. A wonderful general read on this topic is India: A Sacred Geography by Diana Eck. The book does include a few passages on Chidambaram, one of which I am including at the end of this post. Chidambaram is a temple which some believe is as old as life itself! It is located about 1.5 hours south of Pondicherry and we will visit on our way to Tanjore. The Chidambaram temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva as Nataraj, the Lord of the Dance. The text that describes this temple and how it came to be, the Chidambaram Mahatmyam , has been dated to the 12th or 13th century C.E.
As with the stories of so many other sites in India, the stories of Chidambaram are complex and fascinating. They offer us an opportunity to consider views of life and spirituality that do not conform to our commonly accepted means of deciding what is and is not historical fact. There is a growing body of discourse about differences between the Western conception of linear, event-based history and the Indian conception of ithihas, which is translated as history, but actually encompasses both chronological history and cosmic occurrences expressed via sacred texts and epics.
As Devdutt Pattanaik says in his article on the topic of history versus myth, “Linear religions, which have a start and a finish, need history. Cyclical religions, like the ones that thrived in India, seek to outgrow history. History is seen as delusion, a foolhardy attempt of man to define and limit time in ancient Indian philosophies. Science is unsure if time is linear or cyclical, if there is one world or multiple coexisting realities. It is still work-in-progress.”
There are multitudes of stories about different divine occurrences at Chidambaram, but perhaps the most famous is that of Shiva performing the ananda tandava, the dance of bliss. Below, I share this story as part of my impressions from my most recent visit to Chidambaram. More information about the different forms that Lord Shiva takes at Chidambaram follows.
“Oh how Shiva, Lord of the Dance, takes us up once we enter! It is no wonder that photos are forbidden inside!
How could an image capture pure consciousness inherent in the vastness of the skies?
Here, somehow, this vastness is rendered into something we can encounter!
This is the secret, the Chidambaram Rahasiyam: Formless, there behind a veil (some say that veil is the ego!), Only the pure of heart can see Him!
For the rest of us, He presides in semi-form: A clear quartz crystal in the abstract form recognized by all Hindus as Lord Shiva!
And of course, the full form, the bronze deity known the world over; doubtless millions of copies exist!
But here HE is, the original, the Lord of Dance, who danced the universe into existence right here!
Situated on the magnetic equator, in a conception of earth as the body of Shiva – THIS is His heart!
The Hall of Wisdom and the realm of the Ether of consciousness – it is thus called CHIDAMBARAM.
The hall roof is covered with 21600 golden tiles, said to equal the number of breaths taken in a day!
Held in place by 72000 golden nails, said to equal the nadis or energy channels of the human body!
Established before the recording of time, it has been maintained through the years by an ancient lineage of priests and numerous successive dynasties!
Those priests – it is said that they have been here at least two thousand years, performing the rituals just as they do today!
Universes, worlds, and lives of every sort –arising, interacting, subsiding – An eternal dynamic cycle
Occurs side by side – one could say in the same breath – with ether as all-pervasive stillness!
THIS is a balance! THIS is the essence of yoga!
No wonder this site was consecrated by none other than Sage Patanjali, the Father of Modern Yoga
He had to witness this for Himself, he had to see the Lord’s Ananda tandava – the dance of pure bliss!
Shiva performed this dance when seeking to break the pride of self-satisfied rishis
These men thought they could control the gods with ritual!
Vishnu arrived in the form of the divine enchantress Mohini, and bewildered them all with feminine beauty!
And Shiva appeared as Bhikshatana – a beautiful begging mendicant whom all of the rishis’ wives ran to meet!
Enraged, the rishis manifested vicious beings: a tiger, an elephant, a serpent and a dwarf – Shiva cast each one down!
Then fire was unleashed by the rishis – Shiva took some into his hand and danced in a circle of flames!
All of creation became a part of that dance, that famed Ananda tandava!
It happened just here, where I am standing and feeling each fleeting moment of my current form
Noticing currents of air and energy and emotion while standing here before the Lord of Dance!
It is no wonder that photos are forbidden inside.”
-My musings upon seeing Lord Shiva at Chidambaram
The following is from India: A Sacred Geography by Diana Eck Source: Google books.
Chidambaram is one of five pancha bhuta sthalas, or places in South India where Lord Shiva manifested in one of the five elements. The pancha bhuta sthalas are as follows:
Temple/deity Element
Chidambaram or Chidambareshwar Ether (Akasa)
Sri Kalahasti or Kalahastishwar Wind (Vayu)
Kanchipuram / Shivkanchi Earth (Prithvi)
and Tiruvanamalai (Arunachalam) Fire (Agni)
Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath / Water (Jala) Jambukeshwar near Sriramgam
There are further stories of Lord Shiva at Chidmbaram, but we will save those for later as this is already a long post!