Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram – Festivals

Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram – Festivals
Six poojas are performed in a day at the sanctum sanctorum, six anointing ceremonies are performed for the principal deity - Nataraja in a year. They are the Margazhi Thiruvadirai (in December – January) indicating the first puja, the fourteenth day after the new moon (Chaturdasi) of the month of Masi (February – March) indicating the second pooja, the Chittirai Thiruvonam (in April – May), indicating the third pooja or Uchikalam, the Uthiram of Aani (June – July) also called the Aani Thirumanjanam indicating the evening or the fourth puja, the Chaturdasi of Aavani (August – September) indicating the fifth puja and the Chaturdasi of the month of Puratasi (October – November) indicating the sixth pooja or Arthajama.
Of these the Margazhi Thiruvadirai (in December - January) and the Aani Thirumanjanam (in June - July) are the most important. These are conducted as the key festivals with the main deity being brought outside the sanctum sanctorum in a procession that included a temple car procession followed by a long anointing ceremony. As all other temples officiate only one chariot festival for the presiding deity, this is one more characteristic that sets this temple apart from others. Several hundreds of thousands of people flock the temple to see the anointing ceremony and the ritualistic dance of Shiva when he is taken back to the sanctum sanctorum.
Lord Shiva, in his incarnation of Nataraja, is believed to have born on full moon day in the constellation of Arudra, the sixth lunar mansion. Lord Shiva is bathed only 6 times a year, and on the previous night of Arudra, the bath rituals are performed on a grand scale. Pots full of milk, pomegranate juices, coconut water, ghee, oil, sandal paste, curds, holy ashes, and other liquids and solids, considered as sacred offering to the deity are used for the sacred ablution. There are references in Umapathy Sivam's Kunchithaangristhavam that the Maasi festival also had the Lord being carried out in procession; however, this is not in vogue these days. Live dance performances have been introduced to the temple recently, in the form of annual dance festivals.