Home
The Natraj Temple
The Natraj Temple
- Search
- Advance Search
-
- Print this page
Send to your friend -
Click to rate Content (2.93/734)
-
Share this article
The Natraj Temple
The Natraj Temple at Chidambaram marks another important stage of evolution of southern Indian architecture. Here the original shrine, according to legend, marks a site that exists only in the mythological realm. As the temple grew in popularity, furnished with miraculous stories of healing and blessings, patrons gave financial assistance for its enlargement.
The principal shrines, the Chit Sabha and the Kanaka Sabha, were enclosed within a compound wall with gopurams. The Chola rulers of southern India had great reverence for the deity of Chidambaram and were responsible for building several structures within the complex. Later, when the Vijayanagara rulers, the famous Krishnadeva Raya (of Hampi), extended their territory they also extended the complex and ordered ms to be built. Today the twenty-two hectares of land right in the center of the town. The outer wall of the temple was built by the Nayak rulers in the seventeenth century. Through the passageway one enters the tall gopurams of the next enclosure wall. with the beautiful Shivaganga Tank (the holy water of the Ganga brought down to earth by Shiva). The tank is surrounded by a bank of stairs and a pillared verandah.
To the west of the tank is the large Shrine of the Goddess Shiva kamasundari with a ritual passageway. The enclosing wall has joyful scenes of dancers in various poses and musicians playing an assortment of musical instruments. Next to the goddess`s temple (to the north) is the Shrine of subrahmanya, the chief of Shiva`s army, the son of Shiva and Parvati, and a great favorite in southern India. Following the pattern of the early rock-cutrathas of Mahabalipuram designed with bases that look like miniature chariots drawn by horses and elephants, the mandaps of several temples here have a ratha-like stairway entrance to the hall. On the opposite side of the tank is the Raja Sabha, the hall of the kings. A magnificent thousand-pillared mandap (mandapam in southern India), it is used for rituals and festivals.
Related Articles- Anantpadmanabhaswamy Temple - Trivendrum
- Gangaikondacholapuram - Tamilnadu
- Kailashnatha Temple - Mahabalipuram
- Mahabalipuram - Tamilnadu
- Print this page
-
- Great Indian Arts
- Great Indian Monuments
- Great Indian Customs
Copyrights © 2012 Gurjari.net - All rights Reserved. - Powered by Gujaraticontent.com