In
the abode of the magical south!
The town of Chidambaram is situated in the east-central part of Tamil Nadu
state of southeastern India extending 11.24°N and 79.44°E. The
town is in the Coleroon River Valley on the Madras-Thanjavur road and rail
system. The climate of Chidambaram is tropical with mercury touching up to
37°C in the summers and around 20°C in the winters.
The nearest airports are Tiruchirapalli (195 km) and Chennai (245 km). From
Tiruchirapalli, Indian Airlines flights can be taken to Chennai (Madras).
Chennai is connected to all the major cities in India and abroad through
regular flights.
Chidambaram is situated on the Madras-Tiruchirapalli main line of the
Southern Railway. It is connected with Tiruchirapalli, Madras, Madurai (335
km), Rameshwaram (575 km), Bangalore (340 km), and Tirupati (290 km).
Frequent bus services are available to various places in Tamilnadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, and Pondicherry states from Chidambaram. There are
non-stop bus services and express bus services to major cities like Chennai.
Relevance of the name
Chidambaram (also Thillai) literally means the sky permeated by an
atmosphere of intelligence and wisdom. According to legend, it was once a
forest of tillai, a mangrove species of trees. There was once a small shrine
on the banks of a tank. The saints Vyagrapada and Patanjali are said to have
worshipped at this shrine, now called Thirumoolanathar. It is believed that
their penance attained fruition with the revelation of Shiva's cosmic dance
by Lord Nataraja on the auspicious Thai Poosam day.
The
magnetic pull of the town!!
"Salutation to Shiva whose glory
Is immense, who resembles Sky
In Clearness, to whom are attributed
The theme of all creations-
The preservation and destruction of the Universe".
» The Nataraja Temple : The temple is ideally located in the
centre of the town covering an area of 40 acres. It is one of the oldest
temples of Tamil Nadu. The roof of the temple is covered with gold plates.
The presiding deity of the temple is represented by air, one of the five
elements of the universe and is known as "Akasa Lingam".
The Eastern tower rises to a magestic height of 40.8 metres. 108 Bharatha
Natyam dance gestures can be seen engraved on the Eastern towers as well as
Western tower. The Northern tower rises to a height of 42.4 metres.
» The Sivakamiamman Temple : The Sivaganga tank, the thousand
pillar hall are the other highlights features of the temple.
» Kali Temple : The Thillaikaliamman temple is located on the
northern end of the town. It was constructed by Kopperunjingan, who ruled
between 1229 AD and 1278 AD.
» Annamalai University : It is a residential University founded
by the Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar. It is a great centre of Tamil learning
and Carnatic music; now offers educational facilities in various disciplines
including Medicine, Agriculture, Engineering etc.
Excursions
»
Pichavaram : Pichavaram, 16 kms. east of Chidambaram, ranks among the
most exquisite scenic spot with abundant and varied tourism resources. The
backwaters which are interconnected by the Vellar and Kollidam system offer
abundant scope for water sports - parasailing, rowing and canoeing.
» Neyveli : It is about 30 kms. from Chidambaram via Vadalur.
It is one of the biggest industrial complexes in the country. The lignite
mined here is utilized for thermal power generation. Apart from fertilisers
ceramic wares and Leco (cooking coal), a number of by-products are also
produced from lignite.
» Kalvarayan Hills : The Kalvarayan hills are situated 150 kms
north west of Chidambaram on the western side of Kallakurichi Taluk.
Covering over an area of 600 sq. kms. approximately with the height ranging
from 315 mts. to 1190 mts. these hills offer a temperate climate and a
peaceful atmosphere. There is a beautiful botanical garden on the hills.
There are two waterfalls here. The area is best suited for trekking. A
summer festival is also held every year in the month of May.
» Tarangambadi : Once the site of a Danish settlement,
Tarangambadi has the remains of the Dansborg fort built by Ore Gedde, the
commander of the Royal Dutch Navy, in the 17th century. The fort constructed
in 1620 with two storeys was the most important building which housed the
top echelons of the Danish officials. Apart from the ramparts, the rest of
the buildings are in good condition.
Denizens
Two
annual Bhrammotsavams at Chidambaram are of great significance, as they
involve colorful processions of festival deities in the car streets. The
grandest of these occurs in the month of Margazhi (Dec 15 - Jan 15),
concluding on the full moon day corresponding to the Arudra Darisanam
festival (Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in Saivite temples all over
Tamilnadu). This ten day festival at Chidambaram involves a grand scheme of
traditional observances commencing with the hoisting of the temple flag on
the first day, followed by colorful processions of the five deities (Pancha
Murthys) on the first eight days on various mounts. The fifth day features
Mount Kailasam, while the sixth day features the elephant mount. It is only
on the ninth day that Nataraja leaves his sanctum, and is taken in a
procession through the car streets, in the grand temple car.
Accommodation
The various budget hotels packages offer the best of facilities. The
well-furnished rooms place most of the comforts at your feet. Take your pick
of a variety of budget hotels in Chidambaram though most of the hotels offer
excellent value for money.
Chidambaram
Tourism
