Vageesh Express

December 2006 Edition

Samarpanam

Samarpanam – the five dancing halls of Lord Shiva

Although there is a shrine to Lord Shiva or Nataraja, in virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu, five of these are considered to be the Pancha Sabhais or the five cosmic dance halls of Shiva. The five dance halls are The Hall of Gold - Kanakasabha at Chidambaram, The Hall of Silver Velli Sabhai at Madurai, The Hall of Rubies - Ratnasabha at Tiruvalankadu, The Hall of Copper - Tamrasabha at Tirunelveli and The Hall of Pictures - Chitrasabha Kutralam.

In the next few articles we will explore the story and the significance behind each of these unique halls.

The first famous hall is in Chidmabaram and is called the ‘Ponambalam’ or the Hall of Gold. Here Shiva is revered as dancing the Ananda Tandava or the dance of bliss in the hall of consciousness. The ancient temple of Chidambaram pays special tribute to Lord Nataraja- the dancing Shiva. The magnificent gold roofed temple situated in the middle of the town has a bronze image of Nataraja in a dancing pose known throughout the world as the most perfect synthesis in metal art. The temple has carved pillars depicting Lord Nataraja in 108 poses of classical Bharathanatyam.

In the temple town of Chidambaram where Nataraja presides, the story goes that Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali had a contest to decide who would get the biggest temple in town. As both Lord Shiva-Nataraja and Goddess Kali are known for their fantastic footwork, a dance competition was held. The goal was to see who could kick their leg the highest. As both of these powerful gods danced it soon became obvious that Kali was going to win. So Shiva, wearing only the tiger skin wrapped around his waist, kicked his feet up into the universe, unimpeded. Kali however was unable to match Lord Shiva as the sari wrapped about her body didn`t allow her to kick as high. So, Kali got a small temple on the outskirts of town and Shiva won the huge temple complex that houses his magnificence today.

The famous dance festival called Natyanjali dedicated to Lord Shiva is celebrated every year during February-March for five days in the temple of Chidambaram. Dancers, from all over India, travel to Chidambaram to perform and to pay their tribute to Lord Nataraja. Many dancers think it is a blessing to be able to perform their 'arangetram' (first stage performance) in the vicinity of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram. The festival begins on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri and lasts for 5 days.

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