The State government has issued a G.O. permitting devotees to offer worship from the Kanakasabhai mandapam at the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. The practice had been suspended following COVID-19 protocols.
Though other temples had resumed suspended practices, including conduct of festivals and accepting flowers and archanai bags from devotees, the Nataraja temple, also known as Sabhanayakar temple, did not restore this particular practice.
After devotees had complained about the same, the District Collector had submitted a report stating that worshippers may be permitted to have darshan of the Chidambara Rahasiyam from the Kanakasabhai mandapam.
The Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, then recommended to the government that it permit devotees to worship from the Kanakasabhai mandapam. Following this, the government issued the G.O. The Nataraja temple is one of the five Panchabhutha sthalas representing ‘akasha’.
