Chidambara Ragasiyam () is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

belief that there is a secret message conveyed through the embossed figure near the shrine of

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

in the

Chidambaram Temple Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja, the form of Shiva as the lord of dance (cosmic dancer). This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple ...

. Since ancient times, it is believed by some that this is the place where Shiva and his consort

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

are present, but invisible to most people. In the temple, according to those who hold this belief, Chidambara Ragasya is hidden behind a curtain (symbolic of

Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...

). Worship, or

darshan Darshan, a Sanskrit word meaning "sight" or "viewing", may refer to: Ceremony and religion * Darshan (Indian religions), the auspicious sight of a divine image or holy person; also a school of Hindu philosophy * Darshan (Judaism), a Scriptural ...

is possible only when priests open the curtain for special

puja Puja or Pooja may refer to: Religion *Puja (Hinduism), a ritual of devotional worship, to host and honour a guest, or one to celebrate an event *Puja (Buddhism), expressions of honour, worship and devotional attention * Puja, a wooden stick, some ...

s. Behind the curtain are golden leaves, as from the

Aegle Marmelos ''Aegle marmelos'', commonly known as bael (or ''bili'' or ''bhel''), also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present i ...

tree, signifying the presence of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed that

saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

can see the gods in their physical form.

References

{{reflist Shaivism Cuddalore district Indian folklore Tamil folk culture Indian legends Hindu culture Indian cryptographers Communications in India Hinduism in Tamil Nadu Pancha Sabhai Pancha Bhoota Stalam Padal Petra Stalam Shiva temples in Cuddalore district Chola architecture Hindu mythology