??rdra Dar??anam Mahotsavam at Cidambaram

The annual ??rdra Dar??anam Festival (Mahotsava in Sanskrit, Tiruv??turai in Tamil) is held at Cidambaram in honor of the ??rdra star. It falls during the longest night of the year, in the Tamil month of M??rka???i (December/ January). The constellation of Orion and surrounding stars is bathed in the soft glow of the full moon when it is high in the sky at Chidambaram. A thousand years ago, devoid of the present smog and light flares, the stars must have been even brighter in the tropical night sky. The festival, which is one of the two foremost events of the year (the other, called ?????i, taking place in June/July), is believed to commemorate ??iva’s birthday in his form of Na???ar??ja, the “King of Dancers.”

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