Legend Of Nataraja Temple
Chidambaram was originally a forest of Thillai trees (Thillai Vana). The presiding deity of this forest was Kali, Goddess in Her fierce form. Sages Patanjali and Vyagrapada were doing penance in the Thillai forests to have darshan of Lord Shiva. Patanjali was originally Adisesha who longed to witness the dance of the Lord. He came to the earth as the son of Atri Maharishi and Anusuya. Puranas speak of how the child fell into the folded hands of Anusuya, giving it the name Pata-Anjali. Vyagrapada was the son of a Rishi from Kashi. Both were worshipping Lord Shiva in the form of a Swayambu Linga (self-manifested) in the Thillai forest. This Linga is known as Srimoolanatha. Vyagrapada, through his penance, was blessed with a tigers feet and eyes. He could climb trees fast and get choice flowers and was worshipping the Lord.
Shiva once assumed the form of Bikshaadanar and came to Dhaarukaavana in the company of Vishnu as Mohini to quell the pride of Rishis and their wives. In His mission, the Lord killed a tiger that emerged from the holy fire raised by Rishis and wore its skin. Then came a serpent, which He caught hold of and adorned round His neck. The next form to appear from the holy fire was Muyalaka (Apasmara purusha symbolic of ignorance), whom the Lord stamped under His feet and danced, witnessed by Brahma,Vishnu and the Devas. In the Thillai forest, the Lord had to contain the pride of Kali and give darshan to Vyagrapada and Patanjali. A serious dance contest between the two followed. As Kali was struggling to keep pace with the Lord, Shiva performed the Urdhwa Thaandava. While doing this, His ear-ring fell on the ground. With a master stroke the Lord picked it up with one of His feet and put it back in His ear. Kali failed to do this and conceded defeat to Lord Shiva.
On the outskirts of Chidambaram, there is a shrine dedicated to Thillai Kali. The present Kali shrine was built by a Chola king in the 13th century. In later years, Simha Varma, a king of North India, came to the South on a pilgrimage. He was suffering from a serious skin disease. When he passed through the Thillai forest, he worshipped Srimoolanatha after a holy dip in a nearby tank. To his surprise, he was completely cured of the disease and he started shining like gold. Later he was named as Hema Varma and the tank was called Hema Pushkarini or Shivaganga. The king built a proper shrine for the Linga and also brought 3,000 Deekshitas, Brahmins well versed in Vedas and Shastras, for the puja and administration of the shrine. The tradition of Deekshitas administering the temple and performing pujas is followed even today.
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