Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

Spread over a massive 40 acres, the Thillai Natarajah Temple in Chidambaram is dedicated to Shiva and has influenced worship, architecture and sculpture for over 2,000 years. Of the nine gateways four (facing each of the major directions, north, east, south and west) have seven-storyed gopurams. The one facing the east has 108 Bharathanatyam postures sculpted on it. Chidambaram’s Thillai Nataraja Temple also has five halls or sabhais, of which the Raja Sabhai has a thousand pillars that symbolize the yogic chakra of thousand pillared lotus, Sahasraram.