#NatarajaTemple or #ThillaiNatarajaTemple, is dedicated to God Nataraja. It is located in in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. The temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine.
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The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation of Bharatanatyam. The temple is located at the Center point of world's Magnetic Equator.
📷Nataraja fresco on walls inside #ThillaiNatarajaTemple.
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📷1: Karana panels in the East gopuram of #ThiilaiNatarajaTemple in Chidambaram.
📷2: The main gopuram
The present temple was built in 10th century when Chidambaram was capital of Chola dynasty, making it one of the oldest surviving active temple complexes in South India.
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God Shiva himself is presented as the Nataraja performing the Ananda Tandava ("Dance of Delight") in the golden hall of the shrine Pon Ambalam.
📷Shiva Nataraja, Ananda Tandava Murti.
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📷1+2: Golden Roof, #ThillaiNatarajaTemple in Chidambaram.
📷3: Temple complex is embedded inside four prakarams (prakramas, courtyards). Each of the courtyard has walls that were defensively fortified after the 14th-century plunder and destruction.
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Inside the third courtyard, near the northern gopuram, is the 📷1: Shivaganga tank, 📷2: the thousand pillar mandapam, the Subrahmanyar (Murugan, Kartikeya) shrine and the shrine for Goddess Parvati (as Shivakama Sundari).
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#ThillaiNatarajaTemple has 9 major gopuram gateways connecting various courtyards.
📷2: Sculpture in a wall.
📷3: The artwork on gopuram showing Parvati-Shiva Kalyanasundara wedding legend. Near the newly weds are Saraswati, Lakshmi, Vishnu & others.
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📷1: Devi Durga in Shivakamasundari shrine, in her Mahishasuramardini form killing the Buffalo demon Mahishasur below her foot.
📷2: Shri Rama sculpture with Devi Seeta & Lakshmana.
📷3: Sculpture of God Vishnu seated on his vahana (vehicle) Garuda.
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