Rainwater entered the famous Chidambaram Natarajar Temple premises including the sanctum sanctorum, outer praharams. This is the first time in 45 years the rainwater flooded the temple precincts.
Chidambaram recorded 34 cm rainfall during the last 24 hours throwing everyday life out of gear. Chidambaram Municipality has engaged its staff to drain the water by unclogging the blocks if any on the waterway.
According to Hindu Dharma, Earth (Prithvi/Bhoomi), Water (Apas/Varuna), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu) Space or Sky ( Akash) are the five bases of all cosmic creation. They are called five natural elements or Pancha Bhoothas. In Chidambaram, which represents Space or Sky, Bhagwan Shiva is worshipped in the form of Nataraja.
Unlike other temples, here no physical stone lingam is present to indicate God who is beyond human comprehension. Sabanayagar temple popularly known as Natarajar temple is situated in Cuddalore district. This temple is flooded with hip-deep water today after heavy rain pounded Chidambaram and its surrounding areas. Locals remember “It is after 45 years, the floodwater entering the temple premises. Normally, when flood or rainwater enters inside the temple, it will automatically drain out to the nearby Siva Gangai tank and from there it would flow into the Thillai Aman temple tank”.
Sanctum Sanctorum, outer areas in and around the temple are brimming with water. The Dikshidars were seen wading through floodwaters carrying Prasad and pooja materials on their head. “The varuna has come to the feet of Akash,“ the locals say.
According to meteorological centre, “ the deep depression (the remnant of Cyclone story Burevi continues to interact with the land surface as it lies very close to south Tamil Nadu Coast. As it will move west-southwestwards, the continuous interaction with land would lead to further weakening of the system into a depression during next 12 hours and into a well-marked low-pressure area during the subsequent 24 hours. Also, the high wind shear over the region is also further leading to weakening of the system during next 12 hours.” It warns “the deep depression over.
Gulf of Mannar close to Ramanathapuram district coast remained practically stationary during the past twelve hours and lay centred at 0600 UTC of December 4). The associated wind speed is about 50-60 gusting to 70 kmph. The deep depression is likely to remain practically stationary over the same region and weaken into a depression during next 12 hours. Thereafter it will move west-southwestwards slowly across Ramanathapuram district towards south Kerala and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during subsequent 24 hours. The estimated sustained wind speed is 30 knots. The estimated central pressure is 1000 HPA. The sea condition is rough to very rough to the system centre. As per satellite imagery associated broken low/medium clouds with embedded intense to very intense convective cloud lay over Tamil Nadu Gulf of Mannar Palk Strait and Comorin with minimum cloud top temperature minus 93 degree celsius.
