Thanks The Lord of Dance

Atoms, Arts & Abode

Chidambaram Abode of Lord Shiva with uniqueness

Located in 50 Acres

GOD - Murthy ABODE - Thalam HOLY WATER - pond – Theerththam the three items decide the speciality of the temple

CHIDAMABARAM TEMPLE is famous for ALL THREE

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 )

west

Newly painted main entrance - RAJA GOPURAM (East Tower)

North Gopuram

South Gopuram

West Gopuram

All FOUR entrances make “swastic”shape

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)

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 .

NATARAJA SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION

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.

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

Shiva's unkempt

hair—long, matted tresses, a symbol of

a rejection of

society—shows him to be an ascetic.

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.

The small drum awakes the souls from illusion.

The upper r ight

hand

holds a ḍamaru—a

small, hourglass-

shaped drum—

symbolizing sound

originating creation

and marking the

passage of time.

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

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.

T h e L o r d o f D a n c e a n d A r t s

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.

108 Dance poses

Atoms and Shiva

I n 2 0 0 4 , a 2 m s t a t u e o f t h e d a n c i n g

S h i v a w a s u n v e i l e d a t C E R N , t h e

E u r o p e a n C e n t r e f o r R e s e a r c h i n

P a r t i c l e P h y s i c s i n G e n e v a

A S c i e n t i f i c 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”

"T h e s o u r c e o f a l l m o v e m e n t , S h i v a ' s d a n c e , G i v e s r h y t h m t o t h e u n i v e r s e . H e d a n c e s i n e v i l p l a c e s , I n s a c r e d , H e c r e a t e s a n d p r e s e r v e s , D e s t r o y s a n d r e l e a s e s . W e a r e p a r t o f t h i s d a n c e T h i s e t e r n a l r h y t h m , A n d w o e t o u s i f , b l i n d e d B y i l l u s i o n s , W e d e t a c h o u r s e l v e s F r o m t h e d a n c i n g c o s m o s , T h i s u n i v e r s a l h a r m o n y … “ : R u t h P e e l

108 poses T h e e r t h t h a m – t h e P o n d

THANK YOU