| Area : | 5 sq km |
| Population : | 58,740 (1991) |
| Languages : | Tamil and Hindi |
| Best time to visit : | Throughout the year |
| Altitude : | 5.97 m |
The island of Rameswaram on the Gulf of Mannar is one of the main fishing villages in Tamil Nadu. More importantly, it is a major pilgrimage centre for pious Hindus who worship Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu known respectively as Shaivites and Vaishnavites.
Most
visitors come to see the impressive Rameswaram Temple, famous the world over
for its lengthy and ornate corridors, representing fine architectural
masterpieces. Rameswaram also boasts of fabulous beaches edging its coral
reef waters abundant with exotic marine life, making it a haven for
adventure seekers. The temple town of Chidambaram, 58 km south of Pondicherry greets the visitors, with a beautiful temple, dedicated to Lord Nataraja - Lord Shiva in the enthralling form of a Cosmic Dancer. This is one of the few temples, where Shiva and Vishnu are enshrined under one roof. Chidambaram is also called Thillai, since the place was originally a forest of Thillai shrubs. It is one of the five Shaivite mukti sthalams, the other four being Kalahasti, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Tiruvanaikaval. A unique feature of Chidambaram is that a person of any race or religion can visit the shrine and pray.
Location
The town of Chidambaram is situated in the east-central part of Tamil Nadu state of southeastern India extending 11.24°N and 79.44°E. The town is in the Coleroon River Valley on the Madras-Thanjavur road and rail system.
Climate
The climate of Chidambaram is tropical with mercury touching up to 37°C in the summers and around 20°C in the winters.
History
Chidambaram (also Thillai) literally means the sky permeated by an atmosphere of intelligence and wisdom. According to legend, it was once a forest of tillai, a mangrove species of trees. There was once a small shrine on the banks of a tank. The saints Vyagrapada and Patanjali are said to have worshipped at this shrine, now called Thirumoolanathar. It is believed that their penance attained fruition with the revelation of Shiva's cosmic dance by Lord Nataraja on the auspicious Thai Poosam day.
The golden hall of dance was built and covered with gold plates by Jatavarman Sundra Pandya (ad 1251-1272). He was very proud of his achievement, and as such assumed the title of Hemchandandana Raja (literally the king who covered the temple with gold).
The
temple located in the centre of the town covers an area of 40 acres.
It is one of the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu. The roof of the
sanctum sanctorum is covered with gold plates. The presiding deity
of the temple is represented by air, one of the five elements of the
universe and is known as Akasa Lingam. The Eastern tower rises to a
height of 40.8 metres. 108 Bharatha Natyam dance gestures can be
seen on the Eatern towers as well as Western tower. The Northern
tower rises to a height of 42.4 metres. The Sivakamiamman temple,
the Sivaganga tank, the thousand pillar hall are other important
features of the temple.
