Thillai Natarajan temple

Thillai natarajah temple, chidambaram (chidambaram thillai natarajar-koothan kovil of chidambaram temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to shiva located in the town of chidambaram, east-central Tamil nadu, South India. the temple is known as the foremost of all temples (kovil) to saivites and has influenced worship, architecture, sculpture and performance art for over two millennium. the temple is referred to in all devotional literature as bhooloka kailasam, or kailasam, the lord sivas abode that mabifests on earth. the sangam classics list chief architect viduvelvidugu perumtccan as directing an early renovation of the shrine. a major shrine of shiva worship since the classical period, there have been several renovations an dofferings to chidambaram by the pallava,chola, pandya, vijayangara and chera royals in the  ancient and pre-medieval periods. the temple as it stands now is mainly of the 12th and 13th centuries, with later additions in similar style. its bronze statues and stone sculpturses depicting  various deities and the famous thillai trees(excoecaria agallocha) of the surrounding forest reflect the highpoints of early chola and  pallava art while its famed gold plated gopuram towers are medieval structural additions by the royals aditya-l parantaka chola-l , kopperunchinga-l krishnadevaraya and jatavarman sundara pandyan. king kocengannan chola was born following frayers his parents offered at the temple and later in his life he refined its structurd. the shrine  gave the town its name. the deity that presides here is thillai koothan (thillai nataraja-  shiva, lord of dance). chidambaram is the birhtplace of the sculpture and bronze image representation of shiva as the cosmic dancer, a tamillian concept and motif in chola art that has since become notable as a symbol of Hinduism the shrine is the only shiva temple to have its main deity represented in this anthropomorphic form, as the supreme being who performs all cosmic activitie