The region was overgrown with Thillai plants and hence got the name Thillai. Chit - mind and Ambaram - space became Chidambaram. My local guide gave me another meaning i.e. chid means sky and umbaram means temple.

When did this temple arise - A resident of Kashi (Benaras) having heard the glory of this place visited it and found a Swayambu (natural linga). Desiring to worship it with pure flowers unpolluted by feet he secured tiger’s claws & became Vyagrapada (one with tiger’s feet). In the meanwhile, Adi-Sesha hearing Vishnu praising the dance of Siva here came to this place as Patanjali. The linga worshipped by these two is the Swayambu Linga and it came to be called Thirumula Nadhar. The images of Patanjali & Vyagrapada can be seen the east tower.

To oblige the two saints Lord Siva came to Thillai to perform his dance. Thillai was under the custody of Kali and naturally a quarrel ensured. It was agreed that the winner would get Thillai. The game commenced with the Thandava of Siva & Lasya of Kali. Siva resorted to a strategy. He lifted his one leg in the air, which Kali could not do because of modesty. Siva won & became the Lord of Thillai. The dance performed by Siva came to be known as Oorthuva Thandava.

In 5^th century a.d. the Pallava king Simhavarman came here, a bath in the sacred tank & worship of this Linga cured him of leprosy & Simhavarman became Hiranyavarman. There were number of miracles performed by the Lord of Thillai because of which the temple became popular.

Quote vol 4 The History & Culture of Indian People published by the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan period 750 to 1000 a.d. "The South-Indian Nritya-murtis of Siva at first show a variety but later on came to be merged into one outstanding type, the Siva Nataraja. In all Siva temples of importance a separate place of is allotted to Nataraja which is known as Sabha. The most important of these sabhas is Chidambaram. This Nadanta dance mode of Siva shows him with right leg firmly planted on the back of the wriggling Muvalaka (Apashmarapurusha, the evil personified), his left leg raised high up in a slant, his front right hand in the dola or gaja-hasta pose pointing to the lifted foot, the front right hand in the abhaya pose, the back right and left hands carrying a kettle drum and a ball of fire respectively, the whole composition is placed on a well decorated pedestal on which rest the ends of the circular or elliptical prabha which encircles it.

Parantaka a Chola who ruled for more than forty-five years (907 to 953 a.d.) provided the Nataraja shrine at Chidambaram with a golden roof."

In the year 1128 ad, King Vikram Chola made handsome donations to this temple. However his son Kulottunga II 1138 to 1150 a.d. exhibited religious intolerance by throwing the image of Govindaraja into the sea though the antiquity of the Vaishnava shrine is proved by Manikkavachakar’s reference to it.

The south gopuram of seven storeys was erected by Sendamangalam Kadavarayan, was a devout bhakta of Nataraja. Construction started in 1237 a.d. & was completed in three years.

King Vikrama Chola (1118-1136 a.d.) commenced constructing the west gopuram was finished by Sundara Pandya & is thus called by that name.

The 140 feet north tower was erected by the Vijayanagara ruler Krishna Deva Raya in 1517 to commemoration his northern victories.

The east tower was built by the Chola king Kulottunga II (1138-1150 a.d.).

The 1000-pillared hall is in the north-east of the outer corridor. The favorite & most loved title of Raja Raja I is Sivapada Sekara. And this title was bestowed on him in this hall. Kulottunga III renovated this hall to enable Sekkilar to compose Peria Puranam.

Did the deity perform circuits only within this town? In the battle waged between the English, French & Muslims the temple became a fort. The idol of Nataraja was taken by the Tanjore Maratha king and let in Thiruvaroor temple, Sabapathi Mandapam safely. The deity returned to Thillai in 1763 a.d.

It is behind the idol of Nataraja that the very essence of Thillai is seen. A curtain conceals the mystery. During every aarti the curtain is raised three times by the priest and a dazzling brilliance, call it streak of lightening a cluster of stars; still it will be short of the truth. Is not the Supreme Truth inconceivable? That is what is conveyed by brilliance. This is the Chidambara Rahasyam Supreme Secret.

Another peculiarity is that one can station oneself before the sanctum of the Nataraja & also before that of Govindaraja. It is said that Appayya Ditshitar the court scholar of the Vijayanagara king Venkatapathi, stood there & composed a famous sloka -

"What if He dances in frenzy!

What if He sleeps in Yoga Nidra!

The Truth is the same".

And with that he fainted on his disciple’s shoulder only to merge with the Dancer.

People visit Chidambaram in thousands, have a darshan of the Dancing Lord and go away. They are not aware of one salient feature in this temple. The temple is dedicated to a Divine Dancer and as such dance themes fill the east gopurams with 108 Karanas, all exquisitively executed. In Chidambaram all the 108 Karanas are sculpted, while in Tanjore we have only 81.

The various Karanas as enunciated by Bharata Muni, has been carved in granite blocks and placed one above another to make a pillar. And above each Karana, is inscribed the appropriate verse culled from the Natya sastra of Bharata. Even the images of the sculptors are carved.

The most artistic structure in this temple complex is the Nrittya Mandapa – a hall looking like a chariot drawn by horses - midway between the south gopura & Kanakasabai. In Chidambaram temple every hall is called a Sabha. The sanctum, which enshrines the Natraja, is Chit Sabha. The Ardha mandapa where devotees stand for darshan is Kanaksabha, the place where festival idols are kept is Deva Sabha, the thousand-pillared hall is called Rajya Sabha and the dancing hall in the south is Nritya Sabha.

Above content is from Temples of Tamil Nadu by V Narayanswami. Friends I am not a temple expert but a passionate person. Have tried to be as accurate as possible but if you find any errors or suggest improvements please write me at sanjeev@esamskriti.com. Copyright lie with the authors. My SLR camera got spoilt during the trip so had to buy a cheaper camera in Pondicherry, apologies for not so good pics.