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.