Chidambaram – Ambalavaanar Temple ( Tamil Nadu)

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Chidambaram is one of the foremost Saivite shrines;  the very name Kovil refers to Chidambaram, where Natarajar is enshrined in the ChitSabha or the Hall of Consciousness, in the Ananda Tandavam (Dance of Bliss) pose.

Chidambaram is always referred to as the first of the Tevara Paadal Petra Stalangal and is also regarded as the first of the Tevara Stalangal located on the Northern banks of the river Kaveri in the Chola region of Tamilnadu. Chidambaram is one of the 5 dance Halls of Shiva (Kanakasabhai). The five dance halls are Chidambaram, Madurai, Tiruvalankadu, Tirunelveli and Kutralam.

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This temple is home to Chidambara Rahasyam, concept of nothingness (aroopam). Shiva is said to have revealed a vision of his cosmic dance to Patanjali, Vyagrapadar  and to all Devas here.  In terms of its antiquity, richness in terms of worship & festival traditions, in architectural & sculptural splendour, in its association with music & dance, Chidambaram is a center second to none in truly representing the rich Indian cultural heritage.

History: The Tevaram hymns were rediscovered here after a long hiatus, under the initiative of the monarch Raja Raja Cholan.  The Chidambaram temple predates the Tevaram hymns. The Imperial Cholas considered Nataraja to be their tutelary deitiy and heaped patronage on this temple, and their tradition was continued by the Pandyas and the Vijayanagar Kings.

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The Temple: Towering gopurams with thousands of figurines, mandapams with sculptured pillars, lend special interest to this vast temple complex. Govindaraja Perumal Temple is a Vaishnava Divya Desam within this complex There are several other features of interest in Chidambaram. Please follow this link  for a special Templenet feature  (from 1998) on Chidambaram..

Festivals: A whole range of worship services are offered to Natarajar and to Tirumoolattaanar here on a daily basis. Margazhi Tiruvadirai and Ani Tirumanjanam provide a climactic finish to the 2 annual festivals celebrated with great pomp here.

Arunachaleswarar Temple ( Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu )

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The temple at Tiruvannamalai is one of the biggest and grandest temples in South India.  With the hill as back ground it gives the appearance of a fort to those who see it from a distance. It is unique on account of its stately towers, high rampart walls, broad quadrangles, spacious gateways, large mantapams and fine tanks.  It has also much architectural importance and sculputural beauty.

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Tiruvannamalai should have been under the sway of the Pallava Kings who ruled from Kancheepuram before the ninth century A.D. We do not find any inscription in the temple prior to A.D.850 and hence the present temple could not have existed then. Saint Sambandar in his Thevaram relating to this place mentions a temple. Saints Appar and Sambandar belonged to the Seventh Century, Sekkizhar, the renowned author of Periapuranam mentions that both the Saints Appar and Sambandar worshipped Arunchaleswarar in the hill Temple.

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The Chola Kings ruled over the country for more than four Centuries from 850 A.D. to 1280 A.D. Some earlier Kings of Vijayalaya dynasty must have begun to construct the inner shrine(Garbegraha). In the fourteenth Century the Hoysala Kings had their capital at Tiruvannamalai. Afterwards the Kings of Vijayanagar and Nayak Kings of Thanjavur ruled over this part of the Country. In the Seventeenth Century it came under the sway of the Nawabs of Carnatic. There was confusion and chaos after A.D. 1753. Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan, Burkat Ullakhan, French Soupries and Sambrinet, English Captain Stephen Smith besieged this place and had their successes and defeats. In A.D. 1790 it was captured by Tippu Sultan. During the first half of the nineteenth century it came under the British rule.

The Temple is situated east at the bottom of the hill half a mile west of the Railway Station. It faces East. It has got four stately towers on all the four sides and four high stone walls just like the rampart walls of a fort. The Eastern Tower called the Rajagopuram is the Highest. The Southern tower is called Thirumanjangopuram, that iin the west is called Peygopuram and that in the north is called Ammaniamma Gopuram. The temple occupies an extent of about 25 acres of land. The walls on the East and West measure 700 feet each. The South wall is 1479 feet long and North wall is 1590 feet. The Rajagopuram which adorns the East Gateway is 217 feet high with 11 storeys, its base measure 135 feet by 98 feet. This tower was built by King Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagar and completed by Sevappa Nayaka of Thanjavur. Krishna Devaraya also constructed the Thousand Pillared Mantapam and dug the tank opposite to it . Ammani Ammal a Sanyasini built the North Gopuram which is called after her name.

Kalahasti Temple (Andhra Pradesh)

Sri Kalahasti temple, situated 36 km away is famous for its Vayudeva temple, which is the only shrine of the god of wind in India. Constructed in the 12th century by the Chola king, Rajarajendra, Vayu is incarnated as Lord Shiva and worshipped as Kalahasteeswara.

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This is an important temple dedicated to Lord Siva. This temple has one of the elemental lingas, the vayu (air) linga. There is a lamp inside the inner sanctum that is constantly flickering despite the lack of air movement inside. The air-linga can be observed to move even when the pujaris close off the entrance to the main Deity room, which does not have any windows. You can see the flames on several ghee lamps flicker as if blown by moving air. The linga is white and is considered Swayambhu, or self-manifested.

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Kalahasti is surrounded by two sacred hills. The Durgamba temple is on the northern hill. On the south hill there is the shrine of Kannabeswara, in memory of the Sage Kannappa, who offered an eye to the Lord. When he tried to offer his other eye as well, the Lord mercifully stopped him. There is also a temple dedicated to Subramanya on one of the surrounding hills.

The main linga is untouched by human hands, even by the priest. Abhisheka (bathing) is done by pouring a mixture of water, milk, camphor, and panchamrita. Sandal paste, flowers and the sacred thread are offered to the utsava-murti, not the main linga. This temple is one of the most impressive Siva temples in India. It features an enormous, ancient gopuram (tower) over the main gate. The tower is 36.5m (120 feet) high. The entire temple is carved out of the side of a huge stone hill. It was built in1516 by King Krishnadeva Raya.

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The temple is run by neatly dressed Saivite Brahmins, who conduct the worship of the various deities inside. Inside the temple you will find the tremendously ornate and splendid architecture that South India is famous for. Elaborately designed pillars, altars, and paraphernalia abound. The main linga is in the shape of an elephant trunk, with tusks on each side and a figure of a spider at the bottom. If you look at the linga from the top it looks like a snake with five hoods. The spider is call “Sri,” the snake “Kala,” and the elephant “Hasti.” The three names combine together in the name Srikalahasti.

It is said that the spider wove a web above the linga to protect it from the sun and rain. The elephant would get water with its trunk and bath the linga (perform abhisheka) and the snake would also worship the Lord. One day the snake found some bilva leaves and water near the Lord. He thought that someone was trying to harm the Lord, so he surrounded the Lord to protect him. When the elephant came the next day to worship the Lord the snake through he was trying to harm the Lord so he got into his trunk. Unable to handle the pain, the elephant dashed his trunk against the linga killing both the snake and the spider. The elephant also died at this time. Lord Siva being satisfied by their devotion, gave liberation to his three devotees.