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| The main gopuram of Chidambaram Natarajar temple. Image By M lakshmanan at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5761761 |
The Deity of the Chidambaram Temple
It is highly gratifying for a seeker to see an idol in human form made of some earthly material, visible even though only faintly kept in semi darkness, exuding Divine Peace, Certitude, and Force. That's the experience one gets standing before the sanctum sanctorum of the Thillai Nataraja Temple of Chidambaram. The deity, Lord Nataraja is made of a sacred metal alloy known as Panchaloha, which combines gold, copper, tin, zinc, and silver.
The full name of the temple and its meaning
The traditional name of the temple is Chidambaram Thillai Nataraja-koothan Kovil. The temple and the town were once in the midst of Thillai trees and they extend from the nearby Pichavaram wetlands, the second largest mangrove forest in the world, to the temple area. The shrine is venerated as Thillai Ambalam, literally meaning 'the open stage of Thillai'. The name of the town of this shrine, chit-ambara means 'ether of consciousness' or 'atmosphere of wisdom' in the Sanskrit language. 'Koothan' means a traditional dancer and 'Kovil', a temple, in Tamil. There is a reference to the temple or the town in Sangam literature of the first to fifth centuries.
The architects and patrons of the ancient temple
The temple structures, mainly the inner parts of them as they stand now, were likely built in the 10th century when Chidambaram was the Chola dynasty's capital. There were probably a smaller structures made of wood or stone during the preceding centuries or millennia. The Sangam classics, generally dated between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D., refer to Viduvelvidugu Perumtaccan, a respected clan of traditional Vishwakarmas, as being the chief architect of the temple renovation. The temple complex is spread over an area of 40 acres (160,000 m²) in the heart of the city. The golden tiled roof for the Chitrambalam (the vimana) was laid by the Chola King Parantaka I (907-950 CE). Donations of gold and jewels have been made by various kings, rulers and patrons to the temple from the 9th to the 16th century.
The significance of Indian sacred architecture
Many Indians of the present times fail to grasp the significance of the architecture of Hindu temples, most of which are creations since the ancient and mediaeval age. The following excerpt from Sri Aurobindo's book "The Renaissance in India" might help.
Indian sacred architecture of whatever date, style or dedication goes back to something timelessly ancient and now outside India almost wholly lost, something which belongs to the past, and yet it goes forward too, though this the rationalistic mind will not easily admit, to something which will return upon us and is already beginning to return, something which belongs to the future. An Indian temple, to whatever godhead it may bebuilt, is in its inmost reality an altar raised to the divine Self, a house of the Cosmic Spirit, an appeal and aspiration to the Infinite. As that and in the light of that seeing and conception it must in the first place be understood, and everything else must be seen in that setting and that light, and then only can there be any real understanding. No artistic eye however alert and sensible and no aesthetic mind however full and sensitive can arrive at that understanding, if it is attached to a Hellenised conception of rational beauty or shuts itself up in a materialised or intellectual interpretation and fails to open itself to the great things here meant by a kindred close response to some touch of the cosmic consciousness, some revelation of the greater spiritual self, some suggestion of the Infinite.
Shiva in the words of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother
On Shiva, Sri Aurobindo wrote, "Shiva is the Eternal’s Personality of Force; through him all is created, through his passion, through his rhythm, through his concentration"(1).The Mother (of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville) said Shiva is the god of transformation, the one who hastens evolution (2). The Mother was the incarnation of Supreme Shakti and she was visited, by many gods and goddesses in their subtle bodies. The following are the Mother's words on Shiva's visit in 1926: "He was standing in my room that day, so tall (laughing) that his head touched the ceiling! He was bathed in his own special light, a play of red and gold... magnificent! Just as he is when he manifests his supreme consciousness – a formidable being!" (3). According to The Mother, Shiva had a human body in the past (4).
A temple that has successfully resisted takevoer attempts by governments
Most temples in India were taken under govt. control during the British colonial rule. They continued to remain under govt. control after India became independent in 1947. In the recent decades there have been allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds and properties of the temples by politicians and government employees who are in control. Some Hindu activists have been demanding the return of the temples to Hindus. The Chidambaram temple is one of the exceptions as it is still managed by a community of priests known as Dikshitars who have resisted the takeover attampts through legal battles since 1885 during the British rule. The huge temple premises are maintained clean, and there is free distribution of food offered to the divine (prasad) to all visiting devotees multiple times daily. There are no queues for the general public or VIPs as in many big temples administered by the government, but Rs. 1500/- is required by the priests in charge there to ascend the central hall and get closer to the sanctum sanctorum.
The legal battles for control of the temple
An account of the legal battles against govt. takeover of the Chidambaram Temple, by 'Madras Local History Group', Facebook:
One of the earliest documented incidents relating to the status of Chidambaram Natarajar temple or Sabanayagar temple as it is officially known dates back to 1885. The Dikshitars or the priest community who administered the temple approached the Madras High Court to designate the temple as a private one. The judges, Muthuswami Iyer and J.J. Sheppard, after hearing the arguments, made it clear that the Chidambaram temple was a place of public worship and not a private property of the Dikshitars.
When the Hindu Religious Endowments Board was created and the relevant Act was passed in 1925, the Dikishitars appealed to the government to exempt the temple from the Board schemes. Though the government accepted the appeal, it informed the dikshitars that sections of the Act relating to submission of accounts and formulation of administrative schemes would apply. In 1933, the government tried to streamline the management of the temple by proposing a committee comprising nine Dikshitars. This committee, in turn, was to appoint a manager subject to the approval of the HR and CE board, maintain accounts, properties, and account for cash offerings.
The Dikshitars challenged this scheme, but the High Court Bench upheld it in 1939 with minor modification. However, the Madras government did not pursue the proposal. In 1951, the government wanted to abolish private temples in the State. It appointed an executive officer to oversee the Natarajar temple administration. The Diksihitars challenged this. The Madras High Court, in its judgment in 1959, held that the Natarajar temple belongs to a religious denomination, and, hence the appointment of an executive officer was “opposed to the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 26 and 27 of the constitution.” The Court also found the government order “bad on the merits.” Following this, the government appealed to the Supreme Court, but withdrew it later.
In 1982, the government, citing reasons of mismanagement, issued notice to the temple and proposed to appoint an executive officer to manage its affairs. When the Dikishitars appealed, the government defended its decision stating that the appointment of an officer was only to administer the properties. It would not to interfere in religious rights of the priests, it argued. The Dikshiatrs moved the court in 1984. When the court dismissed their petition in 1997, they filed an appeal.
The court then directed them to file a revision petition with the government. When the petition was rejected in 2006, the Dikishitars approached the court again.
After hearing both sides, the single judge of the High Court, in 2009, passed orders upholding the appointment of executive officer. Citing the Supreme Court cases since the 1950s, the court ruled that the Dikshidars “are not entitled to the protection” as a denomination temple in the matter of administration. It also held that the State can intervene and regulate administration.
The Dikshitars appealed against this judgment. At this time, three more people including Subramania Swamy impleaded themselves in the case. The Madras High Court Bench heard the appeal and upheld the orders of the Single Judge. The Dikshitars then appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Temple belongs to the deity, rules the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of India quashed the 2009 Tamil Nadu government order that appointed an executive officer to manage the temple, affirming that the Dikshithars have the right to manage the temple as a religious denomination under Article 26 [Constitution of India]. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Chidambaram Natarajar Temple belongs to the deity of the temple, Lord Nataraja. The judgment clarified that while the temple is a public place of worship, its administration should be handled by the traditional managers rather than the state government.
A snapshot of the geography & history of Chidambaram town
Chidambaram is a major town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pallavas until ninth century, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Thanjavur Nayakas, Marathas and the British.
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Golden Roof, Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram. Image By Nittavinoda - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66549271 Source of quotes from Sri Aurobindo and The Mother 1. Essays Divine and Human, CWSA, Vol 12, Pg 208 2 Mona Sarkar, Throb of Nature: Conversations with the Mother on Flowers and Nature, p.127 3. Excerpt: The Mother’s Agenda, 2 August 1961 4. Mother's Agenda, Vol 3, 1962 References: 1. http://www.chidambaramnataraja.org 2. Wikipedia |