CHIDAMBARAM-Tamil Nadu
Popularly known as Chitrambalam or Atmosphere of wisdom, Chidambaram is mainly famous for the great temple of Siva as Nataraja. The temple, extensively occupying an area of 32 acres, surrounded on all sides by massive walls, intersected by lofty and magnificent gopurams, is an abode of sanctity that is revered throughout India.
The Sanctuary contains one of the Panchabhuta Lingams namely Akasa Lingam which has been described as the Chidambara Rahasyam or secret of Chidambaram. The Lord is supposed to be existing here behind a curtain and when the screen is drawn for the devotees to have darshan, mystery surrounds the shrine and just an empty space appears to one and all. The Akasa Lingam does not appear to the naked eye. It requires an inner eye to see the Lord in an empty space. That is the secret.
There is perhaps no other temple in India where the religious differences to the two cults-Saivism and Vaishnavism have been overcome by absolute tolerance as at Chidambaram. Here the devotee can worship both Siva and Vishnu simultaneously, made possible by the erection of a shrine to Vishnu, as Govindaraja at right angle to the shrine of Lord Nataraja.
What nobler idea could exist than this? God is but one and religious are many Sects are too many. If God is a tree, religion and sects are its innumerable branches and twigs. Tradition asserts that Lord Siva gave a performance of his Tandava Nritya in this place to please two of his devotees Patanjali and Vyagrapada.
The Sanctuary contains one of the Panchabhuta Lingams namely Akasa Lingam which has been described as the Chidambara Rahasyam or secret of Chidambaram. The Lord is supposed to be existing here behind a curtain and when the screen is drawn for the devotees to have darshan, mystery surrounds the shrine and just an empty space appears to one and all. The Akasa Lingam does not appear to the naked eye. It requires an inner eye to see the Lord in an empty space. That is the secret.
There is perhaps no other temple in India where the religious differences to the two cults-Saivism and Vaishnavism have been overcome by absolute tolerance as at Chidambaram. Here the devotee can worship both Siva and Vishnu simultaneously, made possible by the erection of a shrine to Vishnu, as Govindaraja at right angle to the shrine of Lord Nataraja.
What nobler idea could exist than this? God is but one and religious are many Sects are too many. If God is a tree, religion and sects are its innumerable branches and twigs. Tradition asserts that Lord Siva gave a performance of his Tandava Nritya in this place to please two of his devotees Patanjali and Vyagrapada.
Religiously the temple is holy, architecturally it is great. Artistically the temple is superb with thousands of sculptures, dancers, drummers, and musicians. The 108 Lasya poses of the dance are chiseled in granite all over the temple prakarams and the Nritta Sabha.
Located twelve miles off Madurai(Tamil Nadu, amidst inspiring natural surroundings, in an area, popularly called Kallalagarkoil(Vaishnavite Shrine), is the sixth Padai Veedu, a temple for Subramanya is known as Pazhamudir Solai.
Tamil Poetess Avvayyar, reversed for her moral and ethical teachings, had darsan of Subramanya here in her ecstatic moments.
In the Sanctum Sanctorum, Lord Subramanya appears with his consorts-Valli and Devasena.
Located twelve miles off Madurai(Tamil Nadu, amidst inspiring natural surroundings, in an area, popularly called Kallalagarkoil(Vaishnavite Shrine), is the sixth Padai Veedu, a temple for Subramanya is known as Pazhamudir Solai.
Tamil Poetess Avvayyar, reversed for her moral and ethical teachings, had darsan of Subramanya here in her ecstatic moments.
In the Sanctum Sanctorum, Lord Subramanya appears with his consorts-Valli and Devasena.
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