urdhva thandava

[cnu pne]

URDHVA TANDAVA

 

Chidambaram being one of the Panchabootha Sthalams (Five Elements Temple ) of Lord Shiva represents the 'Ether' of the five elements. It thus speaks of the limitless nature of the Lord. Perhaps the only temple of Lord Shiva that celebrates His formlessness, His un-manifested nature that elapses and eludes the grasp of mind. He is thus known as the Akasha Lingam here. The Lord however adorns an endearing form of a cosmic dancer, Nataraja for the yearning eyes. A form that captures His five divine acts of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowal of grace in a blissful dancing pose.

 

Chidambaram being one of the Panchabootha Sthalams (Five Elements Temple ) of Lord Shiva represents the 'Ether' of the five elements. It thus speaks of the limitless nature of the Lord. Perhaps the only temple of Lord Shiva that celebrates His formlessness, His un-manifested nature that elapses and eludes the grasp of mind. He is thus known as the Akasha Lingam here. The Lord however adorns an endearing form of a cosmic dancer, Nataraja for the yearning eyes. A form that captures His five divine acts of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowal of grace in a blissful dancing pose.At the centre of the temple is situated the sanctum sanctorum or holy of holiest, called the Cit Sabha or Cit Ambalam. This means the ‘Hall of Wisdom’. It is the main shrine where Lord Shiva Nataraja accompanied by his consort Parvati performs His Cosmic Dance, the Ananda Tandava or Dance of Bliss.

 

 'Aaananda Thandavam'. The legend also boasts of Lord Shiva emerging victorious in the dance duel with the competing Goddess Parvati by lifting His feet high up in a posture called the Urdhva Thandava, an out and out male gesture. The goddess demurely bowed down to the Lord of not being able to perform the pose. The dance was an outcome of the couple's teasing of one another during their amorous arguments. However, a variation in the story narrates about the dance between Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali. 

Goddess Kali who was the guardian of the forest in Thillai, refused to allow Lord Shiva to dance in her place. Lord Shiva therefore challenged her to a dance competition on the condition that if he wins then she would be banished from that area.

 

The competition began with Naradha playing the veena, Nandikeswara playing the drums and other celestial musicians accompanying with their instruments. Lord Shiva danced with his hair flung in all directions. With the 'vedas' as his anklets, the serpent as his waist band, the tiger skin as his attire with Ganga and the crescent moon on his crest, he performed the 'Ananda thandavam'.

 

At one stage, Lord Shiva took a pose with his left foot raised above his head but modesty prevented Goddess Kali matching the same pose. Thus having lost the competition took her residence in the northern end of Chidambaram in the Thillaiamman temple. It is believed that every devotee who comes to Chidambaram after worshipping at the Natarajar temple must visit this temple too.

 

 

Rudra Thandavam

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EvF_P7smm8

 

 

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