Tamil Nadu Temple Towns - Madurai, Thanjavur, Rameshwaram and Chidambaram

Swati Banerjee a dance teacher in Kolkata, accompanied a group of her senior students on a tour of the temple towns of Tamil Nadu - this was one of the best ways they could get an insight into the background of Bharat Natyam and the rich art and culture of the south.

The ancient city on the banks of the River Vaigai, was the capital of the Pandyas and later the Nayakas. It is famous for its cultural heritage and the imposing Meenakshi temple dedicated to Sundarewshwara (Shiva) and his consort Meenakshi (Parvati). The two sanctums with their statues are surrounded by enormous halls with thousands of granite pillars and carvings of other gods and goddesses. The temple has seven towering gopurams richly covered with figures of gods, mythological characters and animals. The four main gopurams at the four entrances are an awesome height of 50 metres each.

This historical city was the centre of power for the Cholas, Nayakas and Marathas and has a rich heritage combined from all these dynasties. The enormous Brihadishvara Temple sculpted out of granite during the reign of Raja Raja Chola, was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India in the '50s and painstakingly restored. It is a world heritage site and the finest example of Chola architecture. The 13 storey vimana or main tower over the sanctum, is crowned by a carved dome weighing 80 tonnes. The walls of the temple have rich inscriptions that give a vivid account of the life and times during the Chola dynasty.

An enormous Nandi bull carved out of a granite rock weighing 25 tonnes, guards the entrance to the shrine, while two gigantic sculptures of dwarpalas or doorkeepers stand on either side of the main eastern gate. The inner walls are covered with exquisite Chola period murals, many of which were uncovered from the more recent Maratha paintings done over them.  The entire temple complex is in a rectangular courtyard, with many smaller temples around the main one. The ASI has also set up a museum recording how the temple was restored by them.

This is an island synonymous with Ram and the great battle between him and Ravana. Rameshwaram can be reached by a rail bridge that spans the sea - and it is really a spectacular journey. In the distance one can see Sri Lanka, separated from India by the Palk Strait. The Ramanathaswami Temple dominates this island and people travel from all over India to visit it. The temple houses the Siva Linga that is believed to have been worshipped by Ram himself. The main temple hall is probably the largest pillared hall in the world, and has a total of 1,212 carved pillars. There are also 22 water tanks for pilgrims to take a dip.

The highest point of the island is known as Gandamadan Hill and there is a depression on the ground believed to be Ram's footprint. There is a beautiful beach 18 km away from the temple - from here you can see a line of boulders going into the sea - the stone bridge built by Hanuman's army to reach Lanka and rescue Sita.

CHIDAMBARAM

As in most holy places of Tamil Nadu, history and mythology combine to become a living legend. Chidambaram is where Nataraja or Shiva is thought to have performed his cosmic dance - and the Chola kings built an awesome temple here to commemorate this fact. The main sanctum is shaped like a traditional hut and has a gold plated roof and a holy tank near it. The gopurams of the temple are covered with fascinating sculptures depicting poses of the classical dance Bharat Natyam.

There is a thousand pillared hall for festivals and ceremonies, where the Chola kings used to be crowned in front of the god. The Nritya Sabha, or dance hall, has a superb display of bronze and stone sculptures. The inner sanctum or Chit Sabha houses the holy shiva lingam that is covered by a black curtain, which is opened only when the prayers are performed.