Witness Lord Shiva's Ananda Thandava At The Thillai Nataraja Temple !

Witness Lord Shiva's Ananda Thandava At The

Thillai Nataraja Temple !

Today we will visit the Thillai Nataraja Temple. Let us discover the unique story behind this age old temple. It is the most important temple for the Sivites and is a representative of 12th and 13th century architecture. The temple is located at the center of Chidambaram city in Tamil Nadu.

The presiding deity of the Thillai Nataraja Temple, is Lord Shiva who is found blessing his devotees along with his consort Sivakami Amman. The temple has the two forms of Lord Shiva, in the inner sanctum of the temple. Visitors to the Thillai Nataraja Temple can find many reflections of Chola Art. On account of this temple, Chidambaram gained the importance of being one of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalams. Let us now explore the story behind the origin of this temple. Legend says, when Lord Shiva went strolling to the Thillai Vanam [forest] as Bhikshatana along with his consort Vishnu as Mohini, they found a group of sages, who believed that god could be controlled through magic.

When the wives of these sages were enchanted by the beauty of Lord Shiva, they got enraged declared war. After a fierce and lengthy war, Lord Shiva gained victory when he stepped over the demon with a smile, doing the Ananda Thandava. Following this glorious victory, Lord Shiva revealed his true self to the sages, who surrendered immediately. The story reveals why Lord Shiva is captured in the Thillai Nataraja Temple, performing the Ananda Thandava or the dance of extreme bliss. The divine atmosphere of the Thillai Nataraja Temple is extremely captivating. When are you going to experience that?

- Kruti Beesam