Book on Lord Nataraja temple , Chidambaram

2.  Thanks
The Lord of Dance
Atoms, Arts & Abode
Chidambaram Abode of Lord Shiva with uniqueness
Located in 50 Acres

3. GOD - Murthy
ABODE - Thalam
HOLY WATER - pond – Theerththam
the three items decide the speciality of the
temple
CHIDAMABARAM TEMPLE
is famous for
ALL THREE

4. Chidambaram : Temple
word derived from Chit + Ambaram -
Chit meaning "consciousness“
Ambaram meaning "sky" - the sky of consciousness:
which is the ultimate aim one should attain according to
Hindu belief.
Lord is worshipped in his manifestation as sky (Five
elements: earth, water, fire, wind & space )

5. west
Newly painted main entrance - RAJA GOPURAM (East Tower)

6. North Gopuram

7. South Gopuram

8. West Gopuram

9. All FOUR entrances make “swastic”shape

10. Golden roof on sanctum sanctorum
Golden Roof is covered by
21.600 golden plates.
That's - the times a person
breathes in a day on
average 21600 (15 * 60 *
24 = 21.600)

11. GOD - THREE forms of Siva
The temple has three forms of Lord Siva
“Form” - the anthromorphological form
as Lord Nataraja
the "semi-form" – the semi-
anthromorphological form as the Crystal
linga – it has some form but can not
define
the "formless" – as the Space in
Chidambara Rahasyam, an empty space
within the sanctum sanctorum can not
see the form .

12. NATARAJA SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION

13. The cobra represents the desire.
The encircling flames
represent
consciousness and the
manifest universe; the
endless cycle of birth
and death.
The fiery
ring, prahabhamandala,
represents the universe
with all its illusion,
suffering and pain.
The cobra around
Nataraja's waist
is kundalini
shakti, or the
divine force
thought to reside
within everything.

14. The submission to God clears the
ego from the heart.
The uplifted left foot is elegantly
raised, signifying grace,
upliftment and liberation of the
mature soul from bondage

15. Shiva's
unkempt
hair—
long,
matted
tresses, a
symbol of
a
rejection
of
society—
shows him
to be an
ascetic.

16. The upper left hand
holds a flame (agni),
which signifies
destruction, the
dissolution of form.
The opposing
concepts in the
upper hands show
the counterbalance
of creation and
destruction, or the
fire of life.

17. The small drum awakes the souls
from illusion.
The upper right
hand
holds a ḍamaru—a
small, hourglass-
shaped drum—
symbolizing sound
originating creation
and marking the
passage of time.

18. AGNI –FIRE The fire on the hand
represents liberated souls.
The dwarf on which Nataraja dances
is Apasmarapurusha, a soul temporarily Earth-
bound by sloth, confusion and forgetfulness.
Right leg,
represents
obscuring
grace,
symbolizes
his victory
over
ignorance

19. The left hand is held
across the chest in the
gaja hasta (elephant
trunk) pose, points
towards the lifted leg -
singnifies ‘ lead the way
through the jungle of
ignorance’ to reach
enlightenment
a skull on his head is,
symbolizing conquest
over death.
His third eye is symbolic
of omniscience, insight
and enlightenment.

20. The Lord of Dance and Ar ts
Anandatandava: ‘the Dance of
Bliss’ is the unique dance of
Nataraja.
He is believed to perform 108
Karnas
– dance poses and these
sculptures are found in
Chidambaram.

21. 108 Dance poses

22. Atoms and Shiva
In 2004, a 2m statue of the dancing
Shiva was unveiled at CERN, the
European Centre for Research in
Par ticle Physics in Geneva

23. A S c i e n ti f ic M e t a p h o r
The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics," and later in
the The Tao of Physics beautifully relates Nataraj's dance with
modern physics.
" Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of
dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists
have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of
the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies
ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics.
As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and
destruction involving the whole cosmos; the basis of all existence and
of all natural phenomena.“
: Fritzof Capra in his article "The Dance of Shiva”

24. "The source of all movement,
Shiva's dance,
Gives rhythm to the universe.
He dances in evil places,
In sacred,
He creates and preser ves,
Destroys and releases.
We are par t of this dance
This eternal rhythm,
And woe to us if, blinded
By illusions,
We detach ourselves
From the dancing cosmos,
This universal harmony…“ : Ruth Peel

25.  108 poses
Theerththam – the Pond

26. THANK YOU