Historical Geography of Ancient India c7.98

c7.98

*Cidambaram*.—It is situated between the Velar on the north, the Bay of Bengal on the east, the Coleroon on the south, and the Viraṇam tank on the west. This is a town in the South Arcot district (*S.I.I.*, Vol. I, pp. 64, 86, 92, 97, 98, 168), noted for its temples.¹ Śirrambalam is the Tamil name of Cidambaram. It is also known as Tillai (*Ibid.*, II, pp. 258, 279, etc.) and as Cidambaram according to the *Devī-Bhāgavata* (VIII, 38). It was a subsidiary capital of the Coḷas, many of whom had their coronations performed in the sacred hall of the temple. It played an important part in the Carnatic and Mysore wars. South India has five elementary images of Mahādeva, one of which is the sky image (*vyoma*) at Cidambaram. The idol of Naṭarāja (the dancing attitude of Śiva) is the most important. According to the *Liṅgapurāṇa* (Uttara, Ch. 12), Śiva has eight images of which five are elementary.