<!--QuoteBegin-Shy+Feb 16 2009, 08:55 PM-->QUOTE(Shy @ Feb 16 2009, 08:55 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->If you agree with the message and are seeking justice for Dikshidars and protection of Chidambaram Natarajar Temple please sign the following petition:
(and if you would, pass it on to all Hindus you know)
http://www.petitiononline.com/Rudhram/petition.html
[right][snapback]94627[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Thanks Shy.
Why Chidambaram Kovil is important to all Hindus:
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Chidambaram</b>
<b>Chidambaram, the site of Shiva's cosmic dance,</b> has been the center of Shaivite art and thought for over a millennium. Its great temple, built by successive southern Indian dynasties between the 8th and 12th centuries A.D. is dedicated to Shiva Nataraja, and is said to be the site of his legendary dance in the presence of his consort Parvati. Shiva's dancing icon resides in the Golden Hall, a symbol of the nucleus of the atom and of the center (bindu) of the universe. The Upanishads, Vedas, Puranas and other sacred Hindu texts are represented by parts of the temple complex, the temple as a whole standing for the totality of Hindu knowledge. <b>Shiva's dance to Parvati</b> is celebrated in a great festival in December.
(Parvati as Nataraja's wife is called ShivaKamaSundari)
<b>Significance:</b> Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). <b>Shiva is also worshipped in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.</b>
<b>Antiquity: The origins of this vast temple are buried in antiquity. Literature talks of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja) worship in existence even as early as the Sangam period</b> (very early on in the Christian era), and the <b>Tamil Saints</b> have sung its fame when an established worship tradition was in place. The later <b>Chola Kings</b> (Aditya I and Parantaka I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola Kings treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several endowments to the temple as temple inscriptions testify. The <b>Pandya Kings</b> who followed them, and the later <b>Vijayanagar rulers</b> made several endowments to the temple. There is a stone image of <b>Krishnadevaraya</b> in the North Gopura which he is said to have erected. In the wars of the 18th century, this temple was used as a fort, especially when the British General Sir Eyre Coote unsuccesfully tried to capture it from the <b>Mysore Kings</b>. During this period, the images of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were housed in the <b>Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple for safety</b>.
<b>Muthuswamy Deekshitar, one of the foremost composers in the Karnatic Music tradition sings the glory of this temple in his kriti 'Ananda Natana Prakasam'.</b> The Alwar Poems of the Naalayira Divya Prabandam sing the glory of Vishnu, whose image is also housed in this temple, and his shrine is referred to as 'Tiruchitrakootam'. <b>Adi Sankara</b> is said to have presented a Spatika Lingam which is still under worship in this temple. <b>Sekkizhaar</b>'s Periya Puranam, describing poetically the life of the Saivite Saints (63 in number) was composed in the 1000 pillared hall, and was expounded by the author himself in the presence of the <b>Chola emperor Kulottunga II</b>, who had comissioned the work, amidts great festivity and fanfare.
Each of the four most revered Saivite Saints (Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavacakar) has worshipped at Chidambaram, and the bulk of Manikkavacakar's work is in praise of Shiva at Chidambaram. Accordingly, their images are placed in the temple entrances corresponding to their points of entry into the temple. (Sambandar - South, Appar - West, Sundarar - North and Manikkavacakar - East).
Legends associated with this temple:
<b>Aadi Sesha, the serpent (couch) of Vishnu, heard from Vishnu the grandeur of Shiva's cosmic dance. Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance in person at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the one who descended). Vyagrapaadar, another devotee of Shiva</b> prayed to obtain the tiger's claws so that he could obtain with ease the sacred Vilva leaves meant for Shiva's worship at Chidambaram. At the appointed hour, Shiva (with Sivakami) granted to Patanjali and Vyagrapaadar, a visual treat in the form of his Cosmic Dance of Bliss, to the accompaniments of music played by several divine personalities in the Hindu pantheon. <b>This Dance of Bliss is said to have been witnessed by Vishnu, and there is a Govindaraja shrine in the Natarajar temple commemorating this.</b> The dance of bliss of Shiva, is also said to have been enacted upon Shiva's (Bhikshatana) victory over the married ascetics of Daruka Vanam.
Yet another legend, commemorating the dance duel between the doyens of dance Shiva and Kali is associated with Chidambaram. Shiva is said to have lifted his left foot towards the sky in the Urdhuva Tandava posture, a definite male gesture, which out of adherence to protocol, Kaali could not reciprocate, thereby causing Shiva to emerge victorious, delegating Kaali to the status of a primary deity in another temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram. This legend is portrayed in the Nritta Sabha, one of the halls within the Chidambaram temple.
(Had been told this event concerning Shiva and Parvati by my relatives since I was little: "And thus, Shiva was recognised as Best Dancer.")
There is another recent legend associated with this temple. The sacred Tamil works of the Nayanmaars had been missing for several years, and it was during the period of Raja Raja Chola (the builder of the Grand temple at Tanjavur) that formal research was initiated to trace these fine works of devotional literature. These works of the Saivite Saints - rich in musical content were recovered in a dilapidated state in one of the chambers in this vast temple, after the monarch brought images of the Saint trinity in procession to the temple.
(All worthwhile things - including life, knowledge, arts, all religio-culture - derive from and are preserved in Bhagavan.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(and if you would, pass it on to all Hindus you know)
http://www.petitiononline.com/Rudhram/petition.html
[right][snapback]94627[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Thanks Shy.
Why Chidambaram Kovil is important to all Hindus:
http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Chidambaram</b>
<b>Chidambaram, the site of Shiva's cosmic dance,</b> has been the center of Shaivite art and thought for over a millennium. Its great temple, built by successive southern Indian dynasties between the 8th and 12th centuries A.D. is dedicated to Shiva Nataraja, and is said to be the site of his legendary dance in the presence of his consort Parvati. Shiva's dancing icon resides in the Golden Hall, a symbol of the nucleus of the atom and of the center (bindu) of the universe. The Upanishads, Vedas, Puranas and other sacred Hindu texts are represented by parts of the temple complex, the temple as a whole standing for the totality of Hindu knowledge. <b>Shiva's dance to Parvati</b> is celebrated in a great festival in December.
(Parvati as Nataraja's wife is called ShivaKamaSundari)
<b>Significance:</b> Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). <b>Shiva is also worshipped in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.</b>
<b>Antiquity: The origins of this vast temple are buried in antiquity. Literature talks of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja) worship in existence even as early as the Sangam period</b> (very early on in the Christian era), and the <b>Tamil Saints</b> have sung its fame when an established worship tradition was in place. The later <b>Chola Kings</b> (Aditya I and Parantaka I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola Kings treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several endowments to the temple as temple inscriptions testify. The <b>Pandya Kings</b> who followed them, and the later <b>Vijayanagar rulers</b> made several endowments to the temple. There is a stone image of <b>Krishnadevaraya</b> in the North Gopura which he is said to have erected. In the wars of the 18th century, this temple was used as a fort, especially when the British General Sir Eyre Coote unsuccesfully tried to capture it from the <b>Mysore Kings</b>. During this period, the images of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were housed in the <b>Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple for safety</b>.
<b>Muthuswamy Deekshitar, one of the foremost composers in the Karnatic Music tradition sings the glory of this temple in his kriti 'Ananda Natana Prakasam'.</b> The Alwar Poems of the Naalayira Divya Prabandam sing the glory of Vishnu, whose image is also housed in this temple, and his shrine is referred to as 'Tiruchitrakootam'. <b>Adi Sankara</b> is said to have presented a Spatika Lingam which is still under worship in this temple. <b>Sekkizhaar</b>'s Periya Puranam, describing poetically the life of the Saivite Saints (63 in number) was composed in the 1000 pillared hall, and was expounded by the author himself in the presence of the <b>Chola emperor Kulottunga II</b>, who had comissioned the work, amidts great festivity and fanfare.
Each of the four most revered Saivite Saints (Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavacakar) has worshipped at Chidambaram, and the bulk of Manikkavacakar's work is in praise of Shiva at Chidambaram. Accordingly, their images are placed in the temple entrances corresponding to their points of entry into the temple. (Sambandar - South, Appar - West, Sundarar - North and Manikkavacakar - East).
Legends associated with this temple:
<b>Aadi Sesha, the serpent (couch) of Vishnu, heard from Vishnu the grandeur of Shiva's cosmic dance. Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance in person at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the one who descended). Vyagrapaadar, another devotee of Shiva</b> prayed to obtain the tiger's claws so that he could obtain with ease the sacred Vilva leaves meant for Shiva's worship at Chidambaram. At the appointed hour, Shiva (with Sivakami) granted to Patanjali and Vyagrapaadar, a visual treat in the form of his Cosmic Dance of Bliss, to the accompaniments of music played by several divine personalities in the Hindu pantheon. <b>This Dance of Bliss is said to have been witnessed by Vishnu, and there is a Govindaraja shrine in the Natarajar temple commemorating this.</b> The dance of bliss of Shiva, is also said to have been enacted upon Shiva's (Bhikshatana) victory over the married ascetics of Daruka Vanam.
Yet another legend, commemorating the dance duel between the doyens of dance Shiva and Kali is associated with Chidambaram. Shiva is said to have lifted his left foot towards the sky in the Urdhuva Tandava posture, a definite male gesture, which out of adherence to protocol, Kaali could not reciprocate, thereby causing Shiva to emerge victorious, delegating Kaali to the status of a primary deity in another temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram. This legend is portrayed in the Nritta Sabha, one of the halls within the Chidambaram temple.
(Had been told this event concerning Shiva and Parvati by my relatives since I was little: "And thus, Shiva was recognised as Best Dancer.")
There is another recent legend associated with this temple. The sacred Tamil works of the Nayanmaars had been missing for several years, and it was during the period of Raja Raja Chola (the builder of the Grand temple at Tanjavur) that formal research was initiated to trace these fine works of devotional literature. These works of the Saivite Saints - rich in musical content were recovered in a dilapidated state in one of the chambers in this vast temple, after the monarch brought images of the Saint trinity in procession to the temple.
(All worthwhile things - including life, knowledge, arts, all religio-culture - derive from and are preserved in Bhagavan.)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->