Among Tamil Nadu's innumerable temples, the one at Chidambaram occupies a unique place as the home of Nataraja, the dancer form of Shiva. This is now one of the most celebrated images of any Hindu deity, renowned throughout India and all over the world. The story of the dance competition that took place in the Golden Hall, or Chit Sabha, at Chidambaram underscores the iconography of Nataraja and the architectural configuration of the temple itself. Both the image and temple of Nataraja took on their distinctive forms under the Chola kings in the 9th-12th centuries, though the story of the dance competition is much older. It is the interrelationship of legend, history, art, and architecture at Chidambaram that is explored by various writers in this book. Also included is a visual8185026726