E30 - Rhythm of the "Lotus heart" - Thillai Nataraja Temple

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India Lost & Found

ILF

31 episodes

2 days ago

India Lost & Found by Amit Pasricha (ILF) brings to you ILF Radio, a one-of-a-kind heritage series featuring conversations around India's built heritage with leading experts. Through our episodes we highlight the oral histories associated with India's monuments, be they as grand as epic tales of the past, or as personal as local anecdotes. Tune in every week and listen to the buzz around India's heritage sites. We've got a good mix of histories, victories, follies, and more. Let India lost be found!

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E30 - Rhythm of the "Lotus heart" - Thillai Nataraja Temple - Part 1

India Lost & Found

39 minutes 49 seconds

1 month ago

E30 - Rhythm of the "Lotus heart" - Thillai Nataraja Temple - Part 1

Welcome back to ILF Radio! In today’s episode, we’re on a pilgrimage to the temple town of Chidambram in Tamil Nadu where the Thillai Nataraja temple rises in celebration of Shiva, the Lord of the dance!

While the earliest mention of the temple dates back to the 6th century CE. The construction of the temple complex as we see it today began in the early Chola period around the 10th century and it further developed as it continued to receive patronage from successive empires. Every square inch of its 40 acres is packed with profound symbolism and purpose. Its construction is a testament of craftsmanship in sculpture and metallurgy. Positioned in alignment with what was once considered to be the earth’s magnetic equator or “the sacred heart of the universe”, the design of the temple is said to resonate with the cosmic rhythm and is a metaphor of Shiva’s anthropometric form. It is our pleasure at ILF to have established Mohiniyattam dancer and oral historian Deepa Chakravarthy walk us through the past and present of these sacred halls.

Links to key heritage sites from today’s episode:

- Layout of the Thillai Nataraja Temple complex: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10th_to_13th_century_Chidambaram_Nataraja_Temple_plan.svg

- Wood engraving from the 1870’s of the sacred tank and gopuram: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja_Temple,_Chidambaram#/media/File:Sacred_Tank_and_Pagoda_at_Chillambaran,_India,_c_1870.jpg

-Golden roof of the Chit Sabha:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Thillai_Nataraja_Temple,_Chidambaram#/media/File:Golden_Roof,_Nataraja_Temple_in_Chidambaram.jpg

- Natya Shastra dance mudras at the Thillai Nataraja:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Dance_mudra_reliefs_at_the_Thillai_Nataraja_Temple,_Chidambaram#/media/File:13th_century_collage_of_Natya_Sastra_dance_mudra_on_Chidambaram_Nataraja_temple_eastern_gopura.jpg

- Nataraja performing Ananda Tandava:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja_Temple,_Chidambaram#/media/File:Nataraja01.jpg

- View of the fort from the beach showing St. Mary’s steeple (date unknown)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_St._George.jpg

Follow India Lost and Found on Instagram @indialostandfound, X (formerly Twitter) @IndiaLostFound, and Facebook @IndiaLostFound for more captivating stories of heritage sites. Let's ensure that the essence of our civilizational history is preserved for generations to come. You can also visit our website at https://www.indialostandfound.com/ to explore additional content and join our mission to uncover India's lost treasures.