Located in Tamil Nadu, 50 km south of Cuddalore (and 60 km south of Pondicherry) on the Bay of Bengal, Chidambaram is a medium sized city with residential areas have no special attraction, is known throughout India for its sanctuary of Nataraja, the 'cosmic dancer', one of the most famous representations of the god Shiva doing his "happy dance" (called Ananda Tandava). Chid * means "the conscience of mankind". Ambaram means heaven. In philosophy Shiva, the consciousness of humanity is immeasurable, as the sky. The word represents Chidambaram, somehow, consciousness expanding permanent, supreme knowledge.
The Mecca of Hinduism, especially Shaivism of over 2000 years, the city of Chidambaram in history after the construction of the Nataraja shrine, commissioned by the Chola emperors who held their tutelary deity Nataraja. The shrine seen his birth at the end of the Chola empire in the twelfth century under the reign of Vikrama (d. 1135), and his son Kulottunga II (died 1150). Its construction will extend over several kingdoms, however, between 1130 and 1250, including the reigns of later emperors Cholas (Rajaraja II Rajadhiraja II, and the last emperor Chola: Kulottunga III), and those Emperors Pandyas. This first phase of construction will give rise to four "towers" of inputs (the gopuram), the wall, the central paved area, and the Hall with 1000 pillars "(Raja Sabha). This sanctuary will know the result of multiple improvements (including construction of four main rooms), but under the Delhi Sultanate, he nevertheless suffer the passage in 1311 of Muslim troops Khalji Malik Kafur, seconded by Hoysalas, at the "Muslim conquest of the south".
There was no destruction, even as the troops of Malik Kafur only stayed a month in Tamil Nadu, but the looting of idols made of solid gold and gold coins left as offerings to the temple by faithful had a strong impact on Shaivism. After seeing a period of calm settled rule of Vijayanagar in Tamil Nadu, the northern tower will be built around 1525 during the reign of Emperor Krishnadevaraya Vijayanagar, it is the representation, as well as the four architects who worked. Then there will be little change, except the combination of disparate inputs that gave sanctuary to a deeply confused Nataraja (eg it is still impossible to determine with certainty what was the original focus of the sanctuary. ..)
thanks 4 ur information
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