Very interesting information on chidambaram temple architecture, where lord Nataraja is the principle deity.
The plan of the Nataraja temple complex in Chidambaram (not to scale) is as shown above. The positions of important landmarks are numbered as follows:
1: East gopura 2: South gopura 3: West gopura 4: North gopura 5: 1000 pillar hall (choultry) 6: Shivaganga pool 7: Devi temple 8: Shiva Sanctum + Chit Sabha + Kanaka Sabha 9: Vishnu shrine
One can notice that the Gopuras , 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 are not aligned in the usual opposite directions in straight lines, but is positioned as ‘Swastik’.
The swastika (卐) (Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक) is a symbol that generally takes the form of an equilateral cross, with its four arms bent at 90 degrees. The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Mediterranean Classical Antiquity and paleolithic Europe. Swastikas have been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world.
The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit svastika – “su” (meaning “good” or “auspicious”) combined with “asti” (meaning “it is”), along with the diminutive suffix “ka.” The swastika literally means “it is good.” It is a common practice for Hindus to draw Swastika symbols on the doors and entrances to their houses during festivals.
The swastika, is an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia, used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religion In the western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s, when it became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan race identity and, as a result, was stigmatized by association with ideas of racism and antisemitism.
Why was this temple constructed so uniquely? Point to ponder …..isn’t it?
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