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Thillai Kaaliamman temple is situated at the northern end of
the Chidambaram town and was
built by a Chola king in the 13th century. On entering the temple, one is
captivated by the power in the temple.
The Legend
There is a very interesting legend behind the origin of the temple, "Adisesha",
the thousand-headed cosmic serpent, upon whose coiled body Vishnu reclines
in the primordial ocean, once expressed a wish to see Lord Shiva's famed
dance. After finishing his normal duties he took some time off and prayed
to Lord Shiva, who was so impressed by the serpent's entreaties that he
promised to dance in the forest of 'Tillai' (the site of Chidambaram).
Adisesha was reborn as the human sage "Patanjali" (represented
as half-man, half-snake) and made straight for Tillai. During his stay in
Tillai he met another sage, who was granted "Vyaghrapada" - "Tiger
Feet", who had been granted the claws of a tiger to help him climb
trees and pluck the best flowers to offer Lord Shiva - who shared his wish
to see Shiva dance. Together, they worshipped a "Swayambhulingam",
a Shivalingam (also spelt as Shiva Linga) that had "self-manifested"
in the forest, now housed in the 'Mulasthana' shrine of Sabhanayaka
temple. However, the guardian of the forest, who turned out to be the
Goddess Kali, refused to allow Lord Shiva to dance when he arrived.
In response, he challenged her to a dance competition for possession of
the forest. Kali agreed but perhaps due to modesty, could not match a pose
of Lord Shiva's, that involved raising the right foot above the head.
Defeated, Kali was forced to move off a little way north, where a temple
now stands in her honour.
Air: The nearest airport is at
Trichy (168 -km)
Rail: Chidambaram has a railway station and is connected by rail
with Trichy,
Madurai and
Chennai.
Road: Chidambaram is
well connected by road with the major cities and towns of Tamil
Nadu. For local transportation, auto and cycle rickshaws are
available.
Accommodation is available at the moderate class hotels, lodges and choultries in Chidambaram.
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