Overview

Arudhra Darisanamis an important Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month Margazhi or Dahnurmasa (Hindu calendar) (December – January. This full moon day coincides with the birth star of Lord Shiva i.e., ‘Thiruvadhirai’ or “Arudhra’ star (according to Hindu calendar). It is an important festival to ‘Saivites.’

Lord Shiva Represent Nataraja

Lord Shiva’s cosmic dance is represented as ‘Nataraja’ (Lord of dance). The cosmic dance is known as dance of bliss (Anandha Thandava). Lord Shiva performs five most important functions to keep the world alive. They include creation, protection, destruction, embodiment and saving with grace. Lord Nataraja’s cosmic dance pose represents all these five activities – the hourglass shaped drum held in his upper right hand by the Lord represents the function ‘creation’; the second right hand gesture symbolising ‘fear not’ represents ‘protection’; the fire held in the upper left hand represents ‘destruction’; the second left hand points towards raised foot signifies liberation from successive birth; the foot planted on the earth represents Lord’s ‘embodiment’ function; and finally the foot held aloft also symbolises the ‘grace’. The dwarf demon lies at the bottom of the planted foot signifies ignorance. The flames surrounding the lord represent the universe. The snake found around the Lord’s waist signifies yogic energy (kundalini or prana-sakti). The cosmic dance form of Lord Natarajarepresents the continuous cycle of creation of soul, protection of soul, destruction of soul, embodiment of soul and liberation of the soul from successive birth. Lord Natarajadances with his consort Devi Sivakami. In fact the Lord derives energy from his consort Shakti. Shakti means energy.

Cosmic Dance

From puranas we learn that on this holy day Lord Shiva has performed this blissful cosmic dance in front of his two ardent devotees - Vyagrapadha and Adisesha (Lord Adisesha is the five headed serpent on whose body Lord Vishnu lays down). The subjects of Lord Shiva also witnessed this dance. They wanted to celebrate this day as ‘Arudhra Darisanam’ or cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja. They wanted to seek the grace of the Lord for protecting the cosmos with his grace.

Five Holy Halls (Sabais) of Lord Nataraja

The five holy shrines of Lord Nataraja are located in five places in Tamil Nadu i.e., Lord Shiva temple, Thiruvelankadu, Rathna sabai (Hall of Ruby), Chidambaram, Lord Nataraja temple Kanaka sabai (hall of Gold) Madurai, Rajitha sabai (Hall of silver), Thirunelveli, Lord Nellaiyappar temple, Thamira sabai (Hall of copper), Courtallam, Lord Kurtalanathar, Chitra sabai (Hall of Artistic work).

There is one life size icon of Lord Nataraja carved in emerald stone. The Lord Shiva shrine is called Uthirakosamangai, located near Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The prime deity is Lord Mangalanathar. It is an ancient temple. Saint Manickavasakar (His work Thiruvasagam) stayed here for some time. The emerald icon would be covered with sandal paste. On Arudhra Darshanday the paste is removed and the Lord will bathed with holy water and poojawill be performed. Again the Lord will be covered with sandal paste.

In all Shiva temples there will be sanctum sanctorum for Lord Nataraja. There will be abhishekam (bathing the prime deity) and pooja for six times in a day in very temples. On the day of Arudhra Darshan there will abhishekam and pooja on the early morning of the full moon night.

The holy shrine Chidambaram (located in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu) is considered as foremost important from Saivites point of view. The prime deity is Lord Nataraja and his consort Devi Sivakami. The temple’s annual festival Margazhi Bhramotsavamwill be celebrated for ten days. It is one of the very important festivals. On this holy day at Chidambaram more than two lakh devotees will congregate to witness ten^thday events of Arudhra Darshan, the most important festival. The holy abhishekam and pooja will be performed and the Lord and His consort will be taken as procession. During the procession the devotees (oothuvar) will recite the devotional holy hymns from “Thevaram”, “Thiruvasagam” and “Thiruvempavai”.

In the house holds people clean and decorate their houses. They will draw big ‘kolams’ before the entrance of their house, and tie festoons. They will also perform pooja to Lord Shiva. They will offer a kind of pudding called ‘Thiruvathirai kali’ to Lord Shiva. The members of the house will also recite devotional holy hymns from “Thevaram”, “Thiruvasagam” and “Thiruvempavai”. The guests will be offered basmam, kumkum, turmeric, betel leaves (tamboolam) etc.,

Reference Sources:

1) Google -http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=%27arudra+darshan%27&start=10&sa=N

2) Hindu On Net http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2001/12/31/stories/2001123101825300.htm

3) Omnamashivay - The HinduTemple - http://www.thehindutemple.ca/ArudhraDharshan.htm

4) Parasakthi Temple -http://www.parashakthitemple.org/html/Arudradarshan.html

5) OmNamashivay -http://omnamahshivay.tribe.net/thread/038ec0a6-1797-46bd-be0a-29b0d90bd207

6) The Hindu Blog - http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/12/significance-of-arudhra-darshan.html

7) Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nataraja