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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.
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 |
