Temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry: Temple Group #2 Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal

பஞ்ச சபை தலங்கள்

These five ancient Sivan temples known as the Pancha Sabhai temples celebrate the sites where Lord Siva performed an aspect of the Cosmic Dance. In his manifestation as Lord Nataraja he performed the sacred dance at these holy sites it is believed. Pancha means five and Sabhai means hall. These are large temples and are important pilgrimage sites for Saivite Hindus. They are Paadal Petra Sthalangal and are venerated in the Thevaram Canon and thus have existed at least since the 7th century. Their origins are obscure. The many dynasties that ruled the Tamil lands have made immense contributions to these temples and their present forms are the culmination of centuries of building and rebuilding.

1. The Chidambaram Natarajar Temple is known as the Potsabhai or Kanagasabhai or the Golden Hall. It glorifies the Cosmic Dance of Lord Nataraja as the Ananda Thandavam or the dance of bliss. Historically it has been the most important and holiest shrine for Saivite Tamil Hindus. It is also celebrated as one of the Pancha Bootha Sthalams and venerates the element sky or space. Its origins are buried in the mysteries of time and many dynasties have contributed to its construction and growth. It was a favorite temple of the Imperial Cholas.

   
   

2. The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai is known as the Velliambalam or Rajata Sabhai or the Silver hall. Here the Lord danced the Sandhya Thandavam or the Dance of the Evening Interestingly Lord Nataraja has his right leg raised here in contrast to the left as it is customary in the traditional form. Legend says that a Pandiyan king called Rajasekara Pandiyan entreated the Lord to change the leg he was standing on to give the right foot a rest. The Lord obliged him. This temple was originally built by Pandiyan kings in the ancient past and has been added onto in the millenia since by various dynasties. It was desecrated and nearly completely destroyed by Islamic rulers in the 14th century when Madurai was a Sultanate. It has been rebuilt almost completely by the Nayakkar kings in the 16th century.

   
   

3. The Vadaranyeswarar Temple at Thiruvalangadu is called the Rathina Sabhai or Ratna Sabhai or the Hall of Jewels. This ancient temple is where the Lord is said to have danced the Kali Thandavam or Urdhva Thandavam. It was was a difficult and fiercely intense performance. Here the Lord has his left foot raised above the shoulder and almost touching the left ear lobe. Legends say that there was once a fierce competition between the Lord and the Goddess to establish who was the better dancer. Caught in the intensity of the performance the Lord lost his left earring. Without a pause he picked the earring with the toes on his left foot and put it back on. The Goddess was awed and accepted defeat.

   
   

4. The Nellaiappar Temple in Thirunelvely is described as the Thamira Sabhai or the Copper Hall. It is an ancient Paadal Petra Sthalam in the heart of the town of Thirunelvely. Here the Lord danced his Muni Thandavam. He takes the form of Bhairava depicting one his more destructive aspects. There is a copper roofed structure within the Nellaiappar temple complex in one of its prakarams which houses a Natarajar idol and is traditionally believed to be the Copper Hall. It is a temple built by the Pandian kings and later added on to by Chola and Nayakkan rulers. It is a vast and beautiful structure with some fascinating architectural and sculptural marvels like the musical pillars. There is a small controversy about the exact location of the Thamira Sabhai with some claiming that the ancient Azhagiya Koothar Sivan temple at Chepparai, 12 km to the north of Thirunelvely is the actual Copper Hall.

   
   

5. The Kutralanathar temple at Thirukutralam is the Chithira Sabhai or the Hall of Art. It is an ancient Pandiyan temple surrounded by hills and near a waterfall, Nestled between two hills it is uniquely shaped like a conch. Here the Lord performed the Thiripura Thandavam at the culmination of his victory over the evil forces of the Thiripuram. The Chithira Sabhai is not part of the Kurumpaleeswarar temple complex but is situated a little distance away on a hill. It is a temple where all the deities including Lord Nataraja are depicted by murals instead of sculptures. The murals are painted with herbal, natural pigments and have been recently restored using the same pigments as much as possible. It is a stunning exposition that is somewhat hidden and which many people tend to miss.

   
   

Courtesy Google Maps

Access:

The Chidambaram Nataraja Temple is best accessed from Pondicherry. Although there are local accommodation choices, Pondicherry offers a wider variety of hotel choices. The drive is about an hour in good traffic. As it is a large temple, temple goers should budget at least an hour or two depending on their interests. As such it is a half day trip. If you leave in the morning you can be back in Pondicherry for lunch,

The Madurai Meenakshi Amman Sundareswarar Temple is in the heart of Madurai. There are plenty of good accommodation choices in Madurai.

The Vadaranyeswarar Temple in Thiruvalankadu can be accessed from Chennai where there is excellent accommodation It is a 2 hour drive from Chennai and will be a day trip. There are hotel choices like the GRT Regency in nearby Tiruttani and Kanchipuram which is only an hour away.

The Nellaiappar temple and the Chepparai temple are in Thirunelvely which has quality accommodation.

The Kutralanathar or Kurumbaleeswarar at Thirukutralam is about 1.5 hours from Thirunelvely which has good accommodation.