Gods
Date: 17th century
Description: Bottom row Shiva on Mount Kailasa flanked by Parvati, Narada (left) Adhikaranandi (right); Shiva recites the Koyil Puranam (story of the Chidambaram temple) to Adhikaranandi, who repeats it to Sanatkumara; Top row: Sanatkumara recites it to Vedavyasa, and Vedavyasa to Suta.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, northernmost bay (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Bottom row: Vyaghrapada obtains from Shiva the boon that his hands and feet are transformed into tiger paws with eyes: this will enable him to gather the flowers for the puja before the bees contaminate them. Top row: The wedding of Vyaghrapada.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, northernmost bay (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Bottom row: Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha, wakes up thinking of the dance of Shiva. He then sits on his throne, flanked by his consorts Sridevi and
Bhudevi. Top row: Shesha approaches Vishnu enthroned and Lakshmi standing near him. On the right, a fan bearer and two fly whisk bearers.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, northernmost bay (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Top row; Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasa receive Vishnu (right); on the extreme left, Narada and Tumburu; Bottom row: Shiva and Vishnu accompanied by their retinue walk towards a pavilion where they have a conversation.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Top row: Shiva as Bhikshatana and Vishnu as Mohini accompanied by their retinue, prepare to go to the Daruka forest; Bottom row: Shiva seduces the wives of the rishis, whose garments slip from their bodies. To the extreme right, fully dressed, is Arundhati.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa,second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Top row; Arundhati alone near the yajnashala (sacrificial hall); The rishis infatuated by Mohini rush towards her; Bottom row: The incensed rishis sit on either side of the yajnashala; One of them inside the hall, tends the sacred flame from which emerge all kinds of fearful creatures: a tiger, a snake, the dwarfish Apasmara, and a bee (symbolising the mantras).
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Top row: The creatures generated by the rishis yajna attack Shiva: On the right Shiva dances the ananda tandava (dance of bliss) before Vishnu and some devotees; Bottom row: Shesha and his son before Vishnu who has just finished his account of the Daruka forest incident. Vishnu encourages Shesha to worship Shiva until he will be given the boon to see the ananda tandava. On the right, Shiva mounted on Nandi returns to Mount Kailasa.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Top row: Shesha performs panchagnitapas (five fire penance) and Shiva in the guise of Brahma
appears before him to test his sincerity; Shiva then manifests himself in his true form and tells Shesha that the dance has to be performed at a proper place. He instructs Shesha to take the form of Patanjali and to go to the Nagaloka (snake world), where, on top of a mountain he will find Vyaghrapada performing puja before the Mulasthanam, with his mind fixed on the dance.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: The Chit Sabha (Hall of Consiousness) and the Kanaka Sabha (Golden Hall); Shiva has arrived to perform the ananda tandava (dance of bliss); The devotees have gathered to watch the dance.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (E)
Date: 17th century
Description: Brahma is about to perform a yajna. The gods are in Chidambaram but refuse to attend. Vyaghrapada suggests that the priests should attend in their stead.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (W)
Date: 17th century
Description: Panel on the left: Sivakamasundari and attendants; Panel on the right: Brahma sits before the sacrificial
fire, the dikpalas face him. Top row (from right to left) king Lokeshavikrama has a son, Simhavarman; He is a leper and feeling unfit to succeed his father decides to devote himself to asceticism, hoping to find a cure.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (W)
Date: 17th century
Description: Bottom row: The Kirata (hunter) accompanies the youth to meet Vyaghrapada; The youth
pays homage to the sage who takes him to Chidambaram; Top row (right): Patanjali and Vyaghrapada; (left) The dance of Shiva is witnessed by Patanjali, Vyaghrapada, Simhavarman and a further figure.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Nataraja Temple complex;Chidambaram
Positioning: Shivakamasundari shrine; open mandapa, second bay from the north (W)
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