Chidambaram is known to be a Saivite kshetram generally known as “kOyil” among Saivites. But this article deals with its image as a divya dEsam among VaishNavaites.
History: According to a legend, when Rama came down south looking for SItA following her abduction by Ravana, he was fascinated by the place called tillai (now known as Chidambaram). He compared it to the beauty of citrakUTam (near PrayAgai in the north) where He, Lakshmana, and SItA spent sometime before proceeding to DaNDakAraNyam for his 14-year exile in the forest. According to another legend Adisesha, the serpent couch of Lord Vishnu, wanted to see the cosmic dance of Lord Siva and he was born as sage Pathanjali in tillai where Lord Siva performed the dance with accompaniments from the celestials. Lord Vishnu also witnessed it and it is said He decided to stay there in the same premises as GovindarAja perumAL Later KulasEkara AzhwAr (8th century CE) would sing 11 pAsurams about tillai calling it tirucitrakUTam. Thirumangai AzhwAr (8th century CE) too refers to Cidambaram as CitrakUTam. Cidambaram is referred to as “kOyil” by Saivites just as Srirangam is called “kOyil” by VaishNavaites. Cidambaram is one of the few temples where Saivite and VaishNavaite deities are seen in the same premises—the Nataraja temple complex.
GOvindarAja PerumAL
It is not known as to when the earliest temple at Cidambaram was built. But historical data indicate that one Simhavarman, a pallavA king of 5th century CE, did some renovation work on the temple. Further renovations and additions were made by sOzha kings, PANDya kings, and by KrishnadEvarAya (Vijayanagar Empire) through the centuries. During the period of the tEvAram trinity (appar, sambhandar, and sundaramUrthy nAyanAr) there was no shrine for Vishnu within the naTarAja temple premises since the tEvAram songs do not mention about Vishnu worship at all in Chidambaram. It is believed that the sanctum of GovindarAja PerumAL was installed within the temple complex in the 8th century CE by a Pallava king nandivarman who ruled the region in the later part of 8th century. KulasEkara AzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr were contemporaries of nandivarman. KulasEkara AzhwAr in his pAsuram sings, “….தில்லைநகர்த் திருசித்ரகுடம் த ஹன்னுள் அந்தணர்கள் ஒரு ம உவயிரவ எத்த அணிமாமணி சந்த்திருந்தன் அம்மன் தானே (in thillai known as thiruchitrakUDam the Lord sat on the bejeweled throne with the 3000 Brahmins singing his praise). So in KulasEkara AzhwAr’s time (later part of 8th century CE) the shrine for perumAL was present. In addition Thirumangai AzhwAr sang, “…..பைம்பொன்னும் முத்தும் மணியும் கொணர்ந்து உடைமன்னவன் அல்லவர் கொண் பணிந்த …….தில்லைத் த்ரயுச்சித்ரகுடம் …”(the pallavA king brought gold, pearl, and other gems and worshipped at thiruchitrakUDam) thereby lending credence to the timeframe mentioned.
Into the Sea: There are stories backed by some historical facts that the sOzha king KulOttungan II (12th century CE) being a staunch Saivite did not tolerate the presence of the perumAL in front of Lord Nataraja and hence ordered the idols of the perumAL to be thrown in the sea, after Saivite zealots encouraged him to do so. The festival idol was recovered soon after and given to Sri RAmAnujar (1017-1137 CE) who took it to East Tiruppathi and sanctified it there. Much later the granite idol was recovered from the sea and in 1539 CE the Vijayanagar king achchutharAyan restored the idol in its original place in a separate sanctum at Chidambaram temple. Currently the PerumAL is in the same premises close to the Nataraja sanctum.
Temple Details: VaishNavaites refer to Chidambaram as tirucitrakUTam. The Lord in the sanctum is called GovindarAja PerumAL in a recumbent posture (bOga sayanam) facing east, on a serpent bed. The goddess PuNDarIgavalli tAyAr has a separate sanctum in close proximity. The festival idol is called PArttasArati, and dEvAdi dEvan. The crown structure over the sanctum is called sAtvika vimAnam. The temple pond is called PuNDarIga pushkaraNi. The Saivite name for the same pond is Sivagangai.
Inside the first enclosure of the temple
Festival idols
Location and Travel: Chidambaram is 240 kilometers south of Chennai and it is a trip of 5 hours duration by express train on the Chennai-ThanjAvUr line or by bus. It is situated north of the KAvEri River in the KoLLiDam river valley region and proximal to the Coromandel mangrove forest area close to the Bay of Bengal.
