Arudra Darisanam

Arudra Darisanam, a festival dedicated to Lord Nataraja, is major event in the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu. This festival is observed during the full moon night in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December).

This is a grand festival in which abhisheks are offered to Lord Nataraja and Sivakami, his consort. The rituals are held in the pre-dawn hours, when the moon is still shining brightly. Various ceremonies are held amid the holy chants in Sanskrit and Tamil. A grand procession is later taken through the streets.

Arudra Darisanam at Tiruvalankaadu enshrining Nataraja in the Oordhva taandava posture, is the grandest festival in this obscure village near Chennai, attracting devotees from the neighboring villages. The Velli Sabhai or the silver hall at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple at Madurai, bears a stone image of Nataraja and a festival image, both with their right foot raised (in response to pleas by a Pandya ruler, who was appalled by the thought of Nataraja's right foot becoming weary, thanks to his constant dance, with his left foot raised.)