By: Dr. Meera Kannan

Ardra Darisanam is a Shaivite festival that celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Nataraja.
This festival is celebrated with as much fervor as Mahashivarathri in South India, especially Tamil Nadu, on the longest night of the year when Ardra Nakshatra falls on Pournami (full moon) in the Tamil month of Margazhi (mid-December to mid-January).

This cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja symbolizes the movement of all particles in the universe. He is the Lord of Panchakritya the five primordial acts:

Emanation or Srishti: The Lord carries a small drum in his right rear hand symbolizing the birth of all sounds. He casts Himself out in the universe.

Destruction or Samhara: His raised left hand carries fire which paradoxically destroys (withdraws) in order to rejuvenate.

Protection or Sthithi: His open forehand symbolizes his promise to protect all those who follow dharma.

Concealment or Tirodhana: The lower right palm points downwards representing His projection of maya that hides the eternal truth and causes us to be caught in this endless cycle of birth and death.

Release or Anugraha: the Lord’s raised left foot and closed hand signify his merciful act of releasing us from the throes of samsara by granting us liberation.
The circle of fire within which Lord Nataraja dances represents the cyclical nature of time. Beneath his foot is the dwarf Apasmara symbolizing spiritual ignorance, the destruction of which leads us to spiritual progress.

It is believed that Lord Vishnu’s Adishesha (Anantasesha) and Sage Vyaghrapada performed severe penances to Lord Shiva, to witness his cosmic dance.

The Lord readily granted them this boon in the revered Chidambaram Nataraja temple, in Tamil Nadu, and this day commemorates the Lord’s Ananda Tandavam (dance of bliss).

This is a spiritually charged day, and thousands of devotees throng Shiva temples where Lord Nataraja is worshiped early in the morning to seek his blessings. Interestingly, Lord Nataraja has been installed outside the world’s largest physics laboratory (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. The cosmic dance of particles is celebrated on Ardra Darisnam.

Om Nama Shivaya!!