Blogs — Lord Shiva

After the vibrant celebration of Diwali, the next festival to light up South India is Karthigai Deepam, a time filled with devotion, love, and the warm glow of oil lamps. Known as the Festival of Lights in South India, Karthigai Deepam is a celebration that honours ancient traditions.   The festivities begin on the day of Bharani Nakshatra and reach their grand culmination on the day of Karthigai Nakshatra in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December).  This festival is particularly significant among Tamil people and has been celebrated for thousands of years, with references in ancient Tamil scriptures and Sangam...

Margazhi (Margashirsha) – the Tamil month from mid-December to mid-January – is celebrated as supremely sacred. Lord Krishna himself declares in the Bhagavad Gita, “Among all the months, I am Margashirsha (Margazhi).” In Tamil Nadu, this is a month of rising early, drawing kolams (rangoli), and chanting devotional hymns. While it is famed for Vaishnava observances like Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Shaivites also revere it, especially the night of Thiruvathirai. This night is Arudra Darisanam, when Shiva, in his form as Nataraja (the Lord of Dance), is worshipped.  The Significance of Arudra Darisanam  Arudra Darisanam (also called Thiruvathirai) falls on the full-moon night of Margazhi when the star Thiruvathirai (Ardra) is ascendant. On this night, Tamil...

The Pancha Sabha, meaning “five halls,” are five sacred temples in Tamil Nadu where Lord Shiva, as Nataraja (the cosmic dancer), is believed to have performed his magnificent Tandava dance. Each temple has a unique Sabha (hall) named after its primary material, such as gold, silver, copper, and more. In Shaiva tradition, Shiva’s five dances are:  Urdhva Tandava at the Ratna Sabha (Gem Hall) in Thiruvalangadu Ananda Tandava at the Kanaka Sabha (Golden Hall) in Chidambaram Sandhya Tandava at the Rajata Sabha (Silver Hall) in Madurai Thiru Tandava at the Tamra Sabha (Copper Hall) in Tirunelveli Tripura Tandava at the Chitra Sabha (Hall of Paintings) in Courtallam (Kutralam)   These sacred halls are celebrated in the Tevaram hymns and symbolize the union of art, spirituality, and divine grace.  Thillai Nataraja Temple – Chidambaram (Kanaka Sabha) ...

Every year, in the Tamil month of Aippasi (mid-October to mid-November), devotees of Lord Shiva across Tamil Nadu and beyond celebrate a unique and deeply symbolic ritual known as Anna Abhishekam—literally, the “rice bath” of the Shiva Lingam. It is one of the most visually stunning and spiritually meaningful offerings made to Lord Shiva, signifying gratitude, nourishment, and the eternal cycle of life.  This sacred day is observed with immense devotion in major Shiva temples such as Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple, Kalahasti Temple, Chidambaram Natarajar Temple, and countless others across Tamil Nadu.  Significance of Anna Abhishekam  The word “Anna” means rice or...

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, also called Thillai Nataraja Temple, is a 40‑acre sacred complex where Shiva is worshipped as the cosmic dancer Nataraja and in the formless aspect linked to Akasha, the element of space in the Pancha Bhoota tradition. Celebrated for its golden-roofed sanctum, 108 Bharatanatyam karanas carved on its gopuram, and the esoteric Chidambara Rahasyam, the temple unites art, philosophy, and living ritual in the heart of Tamil Nadu.  Why it matters  Chidambaram is revered in Shaivism as “Koil” (The Temple), symbolizing the meeting point of creativity and the divine, where performance, devotion, and metaphysics intertwine. The name “Chidambaram” derives...