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Thillai Kali Temple is a Hindu Temple located on the outskirts of the town of Chidambaram, Cuddalore District Tamil Nadu in India. It was built by Chola King Kopperunjingan who ruled between 1229 and 1278.
The temple is on the outskirts of the city of Chidambaram. Legend says that the goddess Kali (a form of Parvati) moved here after losing to the god Shiva in the celestial dance contest.
It was an argument that who is superior, either Shiva or his wife Parvati. In order to resolve thus, they performed a dance program at Chidambaram in front of Vishnu, Brahma and other deities. While they were playing dance, Shiva was about to be defeated. [1]
Shiva performed the Urdhva Tandava posture, i.e. raising one leg above his head and challenged Parvati to replicate it. Due to her modesty and shyness, Parvati refused and agreed her defeat.
Parvati in anger assumed her ferocious form Kali and left Chidambaram (Thillai) and settled outside the town borders. Thus, she is worshipped as Thillai Kali here. Her anger was pacified by Brahma by chanting the Veda and praising her.
Kali was pleased and assumed a benign form with four heads similar to Brahma and known as Thillai Amman (Mother of Thillai) or Brahma Chamundeeswari.
There are two main shrines in the temple. The west-facing shrine depicts the goddess in his benign four-faced form Brahma Chamundeeswari.
In the east-facing shrine, the goddess appears in her ferocious form called Thillai Kali.
The other important shrines are for goddess Saraswati as Veena Vidyambigai and for Dakshinamurthy (a form of Shiva) where he has a female form called Kadambavana Dhakshina Rupini. [2]
Kali or Durga worship, also known as Shaktism, entered into Tamil country from Gauda region (present day Bengal) before 7th century C.E. Tantric rituals were followed during the daily worship in the Kali temples. The situation changed when Cholas were in ascendancy. Cholas embraced Saivism as their religion and the rituals were based on Agamas rather than Tantric tradition. During the reign of Vikrama Chola (1118 C.E. to 1135 C.E.) and his son Kulothunga-II and grandson Rajaraja-II the transition to Saivism was complete and Shaktism was relegated to subordinate role. Shiva the supreme god was also portrayed as the King of Dance (Nataraja) and in the mythology he defeated Kali in the dance competition. The symbolism of the victory of Saivism over Shaktism is unmistakable.
When the later Cholas constructed the grand Shiva temple in Chidambaram it became the center of the town and the Thillai Kali temple location became the outskirts of the town. [3]
From the various inscriptions on temple walls, it appears that the present temple was constructed in the 13th century C.E. by one Kadava Kopperunchingan, a local chieftain. The deity is variously referred to as Pidariyar, Thillai Vanam Udaya Parameshwari and Thillai Thiruchitrambala Mahakali in the inscriptions. [4]
"Vaikasi Thiruvizha" is the most famous festival in this temple. This festival takes place for 13 days during the tamil month of Vaikasi (mid May to mid June). Ablution is done to the deity with Gingelly oil, Sandal powder and Vermilion every day morning. Sacred wrist band (Vaikasi Kaapu) is tied to the deity. The deity is taken in a procession every day evening, each day in a different vehicle (Vahana) like Boodhahi Vaahanam, sooryaprabhai and Chandraprabhai. On the 9th day the procession happens on a Chariot (Ther).
Finally on the next 4 days the "Theerthavaari Utsavam", "Kaapu kalaidal", "Manjal Neerattu", "Muthupallakku Utsavam" and "Theppa Utsavam" take place. The "Vaikasi Peruvizha" ends with the "Thiru Oonjal Vizha". [5]
Chidambaram is 245 km away from Chennai International airport and has a railway station that is connected with Trichy, Madurai and Chennai.
Uthamar Kovil in Uthamarkoil, a village in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti of Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glorified in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Purushothaman Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Poornavalli Thayar.
Chidambaram is a town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pallavas until ninth century, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Thanjavur Nayakas, Marathas and the British. The town is known for the Thillai Nataraja Temple and Thillai Kali Temple, and the annual chariot festival held in the months of December–January and June to July. One of the Divya Desams Divya Sri Govindaraja Perumal Temple (Thiruchitrakoodam) is a part of Thillai Nataraja Temple complex. Thiruvetkalam Shiva Temple, Vadakiruppu, Thirunelvayil Shiva Temple, Sivapuri and Tirukkazhippalai Palvannanathar Temple are the other three ancient Shiva temples in the region.
The Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi, one of the highest aspects of Adi Parashakti, the mighty goddess in Shaktism. The temple is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India. The temple houses one of the 108 Divya Desams of Vishnu and is called Tirukalavanur. The temple is dedicated mainly to Kamakshi and then to Vishnu in his form of Varaha. The temple is glorified by the 6th-9th century Vaishnavite Alvars in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Its construction is credited to the Pallava kings, whose capital was in the same city. This temple, along with the goddesses of Madurai and either Varanasi or Thiruvanaikovil, are the important centers of Shaktism in the state of Tamil Nadu. The present temple is also known as Kamakoti Peetha or Kamakota Nayaki Kovil, where Tripura Sundari had settled after killing a demon. This ancient temple was mentioned in Perunaraatrupadai, an ancient Tamil literature that praises the renowned Sangam era. King Thondaiman Ilandiraiyan of the Pallava dynasty, who ruled Kanchipuram, constructed the temple. Kamakshi is worshipped in the shrine in 5 forms, one of them was a golden idol, which was transported to Thanjavur due to the Muslim invasions of Kanchipuram. There are no other goddess temples in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this one, which is unusual in a city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends that account for this fact.
Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja and Govindaraja, the form of Shiva as the lord of dance and Maha Vishnu as the Judge of the dance. This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE. It is one of the 108 Divya Desam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Govindaraja Perumal and his consort Lakshmi as Pundarikavalli Thayar. This temple has ancient roots and a Shiva and Maha Vishnu shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai. Chidambaram, the name of the city literally means "stage of consciousness". The temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine. The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance.
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Vaseeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Thirupasoor, a village in Tiruvallur district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshiped as Vaseeswarar, and is represented by the lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Pasupathinayagi. The temple is located on the Southern banks of Poondi reservoir on the Thiruvallur - Thiruthani road, 5 km (3.1 mi) away from the town. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century CE Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
Agnipureeswarar Temple in Thirupugalur, a village in Nagapattinam district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in the Tamil style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the Cholas period in the 10th century. Shiva is worshipped as Agnipureeswarar and his consort Parvathi as Karundar Kuzhali. The temple is believed to be the place where Saiva saint Appar is believed to have attained salvation.
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