Chidambaram Nataraja Temple travel guide

Timings

6 am to 12.30 pm, 4.30 pm to 10 pm

Best time

October to March

Element

Akasha (space)

Distance from Chennai

About 235 km

Nearest railway station

Chidambaram

Nearest airport

Tiruchirappalli

Area

About 40 acres

Significance

Chidambaram is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, the Shiva temples linked to the five elements. It represents akasha, or space; the others are Thiruvanaikaval for water, Kanchipuram for earth, Srikalahasti for air and Thiruvannamalai for fire. It holds a special place among the 275 shrines praised in the Thevaram hymns of the Shaiva saints.

Nataraja's dance, the Ananda Tandavam, is read as a symbol of the endless cycle of creation and dissolution. The image has become known worldwide; a statue of Nataraja stands at CERN, the physics laboratory in Geneva.

What to see

The central hall, the Chit Sabha, has a roof covered in gold tiles. Tradition says there are 21,600 of them, matching the number of breaths a person takes in a day, fixed with 72,000 nails for the body's nadis. Beside Nataraja is the Chidambara Rahasyam, a space behind a curtain where, when it is drawn aside, hanging strings of golden bilva leaves are revealed before an apparently empty space: a reminder that the divine is formless and everywhere. There is also a small crystal lingam, a shrine to the goddess Sivakami, and a shrine to Govindaraja Perumal, so Shiva and Vishnu are worshipped in the same complex.

Worship is conducted by the Dikshitars, a hereditary community of priests. The temple was built up over many centuries by Pallava, Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagara rulers, and many royal gifts of jewellery still adorn the deities.

Timings and festivals

Darshan hours are 6 am–12.30 pm, then again 4.30–10 pm. The two biggest festivals are Arudra Darshanam in Margazhi (December–January) and Aani Thirumanjanam (June–July), when Nataraja is taken out in procession. October to March is the most comfortable season to visit. Dress modestly, with shoulders covered.

How to reach

Chidambaram railway station is on the main line between Chennai and Thanjavur, and the town is about 235 km, or roughly four and a half hours by road, from Chennai. Tiruchirappalli has the nearest major airport. From Virudhachalam we can arrange a half-day visit, or combine Chidambaram with Pichavaram mangroves and the delta temples.

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