Fri Jan 02 13:51:14 UTC 2026: News Article:

Thousands Celebrate Arudra Darshan Festival in Chidambaram

Cuddalore, India – January 2, 2026 – Thousands of devotees from Cuddalore and surrounding districts participated in the vibrant car procession of the Sri Sabanayagar Temple (also known as Sri Natarajar Temple) in Chidambaram on Friday, marking the Arudra Darshan festival. The procession, a key event in the 10-day festival, featured five intricately decorated cars carrying Lord Nataraja and his consort Sivagamasundari, along with Lord Vinayaka, Lord Subramaniam, and Chandigeswar. Devotees enthusiastically pulled the cars along the four main streets of the town. Following the procession, special pujas were performed at the temple’s 1,000-pillar mandapam. Saturday marks the penultimate day of the festival, highlighted by the opening of the sanctum sanctorum for Arudra Darshan and a palanquin procession featuring Lord Nataraja in his cosmic dance posture. The Arudra Darshan festival, alongside ‘Aani Thirumanjanam’, is one of the two major annual events where Lord Nataraja is paraded around the temple town. The Cuddalore district police have implemented stringent security measures for Saturday’s events, deploying a large number of officers to ensure the safety of the devotees.

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