Vageesh Express
Samarpanam
Samarpanam – The Five Dancing Halls of Lord Shiva
The five
dance halls of Lord Shiva are The Hall of Gold - Kanakasabhai at Chidambaram,
The Hall of Silver Velli Sabhai at Madurai,
The Hall of Rubies - Ratnasabhai at Tiruvalankadu,
The Hall of Copper - Tamrasabhai at Tirunelveli
and The Hall of Pictures - Chitrasabhai Kutralam.
In the last article we read about the legend behind Kanakasabhai at Chidambaram. In this article we will explore the significance behind the Velli Sabhai and the Ratna Sabhai.
Velli Sabhai or the Hall of Silver
The Velli Sabhai or the Hall of Silver is found in Madurai, one of the prominent places where Lord Shiva is worshipped.
The legend
behind this dancing hall is as follows. The Pandya King Rajasekarapandian
was an expert in various arts except Bharatha Natyam. So,he appointed a
teacher and started learning the art. He felt pain in his legs when he danced
and realised that Lord Shiva would also experience the same pain as he danced
continuously on one foot in Velliambalam. He prayed and requested the
Lord to place the raised foot on the ground and lift the other foot instead so
that he might be relived of the pain in his legs. He proclaimed that he would
give up his life if the Lord did not yield to his request. Accepting the King’s
prayers, Lord Shiva changed the position of his legs by placing his raised foot
on the ground and lifting his other foot. He performed the Paramananda
Thandavam. In Tillai and all other holy places, the Lord Shiva dances with
his right leg on the ground and his left leg raised. However in Madurai, he dances
with his left leg on the ground and his right leg is raised. The dancing
posture of 'Ambalavanan' (Lord Shiva) with ten hands can be seen only in
Velliambalam. m' and also 'Chokk
a Thandavam'.
Ratna Sabhai or the Hall of Rubies
The Ratna Sabhai or Hall of Rubies is found in Thiruvalankadu. Legend says that it was here that Lord Shiva danced for the great devotee, Karaikkal Aammaiyar, one of the 63 nayanmars. Karaikkal Aammaiyar wanted to see the dance of Lord Shiva and prayed to him for a glimpse of the celestial dance. The Lord asked her to worship him in Thiruvalankadu. She worshipped the Lord diligently and he appeared before her as promised and danced for her.
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