ARUDRA DARISANAM

ARUDRA DARISANAM

Mārgaḷi Thiruvāthirai occurs in conjunction with the full moon and the star Ardrā. This festival of Nataraja Chidambaram is a ten-day festival. Ten days earlier, on the first day, there is a flag hoisting in the temple. Every day there is a festival culminating on the 9th when Nataraja the presiding deity in the temple is taken out in procession along the four main streets of the city in a gaily and artistically but traditionally decorated chariot.

Usually, five chariots are drawn around - those of Lord Nataraja, of his concert Shakti Sivagamasundari, of Ganesha, of Subramanya and of Chandesha. The chariot of Nataraja is the biggest and the others are much smaller. These five are Pancha Murthy in Saiva worship. Abhishekam and alankarams take place. In an auspicious moment, Nataraja is carried out into the open corridor, before entering the temple.

THE IMPORTANT TWO STARS

It is remarkable that only two of the stars in the list of 27 have that Tamil prefix ‘Thiru’(eminence)along with their names; they are Thiru Adirai(Ardra), sacred to Shiva and Thiruvonam sacred to Vishnu. Vishnu is said to have been born or incarnated on Thiruvonam day and Ardra is said to be just Shiva’s favorite star.

THE FIVE-FOLD FUNCTIONS

The festival is considered to symbolize the performance of five-fold functions done by Lord Shiva for uplifting all souls.
Abhisheka of Nataraja in the thousand pillar hall is a great event; it denotes creation (Srishti). The food offering on the occasion is maintenance (Sthithi). Sandal in the name of Krishna Gandam is smeared on him; this is annihilation (samhara). A black cow is brought before him for his Darshan and this is concealment (tirobhava). Lastly, the Deeparadhana which all people witness is Anugraha grace.

The inner chamber in which the image of Nataraja is kept for worship is known as the Chit-Sabha (the hall of intelligence); the hall in front is known as Kanaka-Sabha, the golden hall where Bhakta stands and worship.

THE SIX ABHISEHKAS OF LORD NATARAJA

Unlike this Shiva Linga, in any other temple for whom Abhisheka is performed several times a day, all the days of the year, only 6 Abhishekas are performed in a year for Nataraja anywhere.
The most famous and elaborate one is the Ārdrā of mārgaḷi symbolizes the dawn hour(Ushakāl) for him; the next Abhishek is on the Chaturdashi day (14th)in the bright fortnight of Masi which symbolizes morning for Him; Thiruvonam Nakshatra Abhishek in the month of Chitra is his noon; the next is Āni Tirumanjanam on the day of Uttiram (Uttara Phalgunī) Nakshatra in the month of Āni. This is celebrated in grand manner; this symbolizes the afternoon and Prodosha kāla. The abhishekhas on the 14th day of the bright fortnight is Āvani is His evening and lastly, Abhisheka on the 14th of the bright fortnight of Purattāsi is midnight.
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THE FORM OF LORD NATARAJA

Lord Nataraja is the supreme dancer. Nataraja has been given four arms; additional hands means simply power; the right foot of Nataraja is planted on a little demon; the left is lifted and held across it; Of the four arms the right-back arm holds a little drum and the left-back arm holds a little fire; the right forward arm is just held up, palm in front, in the pose of benediction or granting solace. The left forward arm is just held in a sweep. At the back of the form of Nataraja, there is a circular arc and on it, there are 51 flames. All these are not mere parts of the form but are conceived with a definite philosophic connotation.

The large round Arc denotes the entire universe. Nataraja does not dance in any particular place but the entire Cosmos is the stage on which He performs His unceasing dance. Now the drum sounds when he dances and produces primordial sound ‘Om’. Now the sound which emanates from the drum is not any meaningless noise but the first letters, vowels and consonants which are considered to the alphabets in Sanskrit. The 51 little flames on the outer edge of the Arc represents those 51 sounds. From sound speech emanated and from speech knowledge. In short, the sounding of the drum is symbolic of creation.

THE SENDANAR LEGEND AND THE KALI OFFERING

In the middle of the ninth century in the reign of the Chola monarch, Ganadaraditya (950-956 AD) there was a Harijan Bhakta by ”the name Sendan, a woodcutter living on the outskirts of Chidambaram. On the day previous to the car festival, it was raining very heavily and the Woodcutter could not get dry wood and was unable to get a good price. He could buy only Ragi (considered as inferior grain). He made a gruel out of this as offering to Nataraja in his home. Lord Nataraja recognized his devotion and to honor him, came to his house as a mendicant and was served this humble fare. Lord ate well and took off what was left in the house saying that he wanted it for the next meal.

Opening the temple early the next morning dikshitas (temple priests) at Chidambaram found this gruel or kali strewn all around the Chit-Sabha and Kanaka-Sabha. This was considered an act of sacrilege and duly reported to the king who was in the City. Meanwhile, the king was also unhappy because he did not hear the twinkling of the bells on Nataraja feet that evening in his puja, which he usually used to hear to tell him that Nataraja had accepted his puja. The Lord appeared in his dream and told him that he had been to the hut of Sendan to partake of his kali. The poor Sendan was honored. Sendan (Saint Sendanar) sang a Pallandu poem on Lord Nataraja.

From that day, the offering of Kali to Nataraja and the singing of the Pallandu song become the rule in every temple and in every home.