Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

Chidambaram represents akasha, the element of space, among the five elemental Shiva temples, and is the foremost seat of Nataraja worship. The Chidambara Rahasya conveys the deepest teaching that the ultimate reality is formless and beyond perception, present everywhere as pure consciousness. It is a supreme centre of both temple dance and Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy. Darshan of Nataraja is believed to reveal the cosmic principle within the devotee's own heart.

The Thillai Nataraja temple enshrines Shiva in his sublime form as Nataraja, whose dance (the Ananda Tandava) sets the rhythm of creation, preservation and dissolution. Its golden-roofed Chit Sabha (hall of consciousness) houses the famous Chidambara Rahasya — the 'secret of Chidambaram' — an empty space behind a garland-hung curtain, representing the formless, all-pervading divine (space/akasha). The temple is administered by the Dikshitars, a hereditary community of priests, and its sculpted halls include depictions of the 108 karanas of classical Bharatanatyam. It is a masterpiece of Chola-era art and Shaiva philosophy.