Chitra Sabhai - The Dance floor of Lord Shiva

In this post, I introduce you to one of those places in India that illustrate how wonderfully arts flourished in India in the past. The place is however yet to receive its due share of recognition and tourist interest. The place is known as Chitra Sabhai, located in South Tamil Nadu and is one of the five significant locations where Lord Shiva is said to have performed his cosmic dance. The name, Chitra Sabhai, literally means Hall of Paintings. The place is indeed a treasure trove of wonderful mural art.

THE FIVE SABHAIS: Lord Shiva, in the form of Nataraja, is said to have displayed his dance in various locations, of which five of them stand out and are highly revered. In each of these locations (sabhais), he is associated with a particular dance form or Thandavam. The five sabhais are termed: Por sabhai (hall of gold) located at Chidambaram, Rajatha sabhai (hall of Silver) located within Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Rathina sabhai (Hall of ruby) located at Tiruvalangadu, Thamira sabhai (Hall of Copper) located within Nelliappar Temple in Tirunelveli and Chitra Sabhai (Hall of Painting) located in Kutralam. The best part about these five locations is the fact that each of these dance floors is decorated in a fashion that perfectly matches its name. Accordingly, Chitra Sabhai is all about wonderful wall paintings.

REACHING THERE: Chitra Sabhai is located at the picturesque location of Kutralam in Tirunelveli District in South Tamil Nadu. Kutralam is a well-known town for its several beautiful falls. Chitra Sabhai is at a walkable distance from the Main falls of Kutralam, although not easily visible. It is on one of the adjacent lanes, but the locals should be able to easily guide you from the Main falls. The best way to reach Kutralam is by road. The nearest major towns are Tenkasi (5 kms away) and Tirunelveli (55 kms away). The nearest major rail head is Tirunelveli, where several trains from Chennai and from the neighbouring state of Kerala stop by. There is also a Tenkasi express from Chennai that stops at Tenkasi.

HISTORY: Chitra Sabhai has a long history. It is believed that once there was an imbalance on earth, as everyone flocked to the Himalayan range in north India to witness the divine sight of Lord Shiva marrying Parvathi. To stabilise the earth, Lord Shiva had requested sage Agastyar to head south. The sage came down to Kutralam but was depressed that he was not able to witness the divine wedding. Understanding sage Agastyar's desire, the Lord along with the Lordess is said to have presented himself before Sage Agastyar at Kutralam and to have performed the Thirupura thandavam along with Lordess Parvathi for the sage. Later on, the ruler of the region is said to have constructed the hall to commemorate the event.

THE PREMISE: From a distance, Chitra Sabhai may not appear to be a great spectacle. The hall has a simple rectangular structure with a wooden entrance and pyramid style of roofing that resembles temples in Kerala. This is not surprising given the proximity of Kutralam to Kerala. The real beauty, however, lies inside.

As you enter the hall, you get transported to a totally different world. There are broadly two compartments within the hall, in the form of two rings. So you can first tour the outer ring and then enter the inner ring. As you move through the two rings you are faced with wonderful mural paintings on the walls.

The paintings are of various sizes and forms. Each painting has its own story to tell. They represent the history of Kutralam, the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvathi, Lord Vishnu in sayanam, form of various other gods and goddesses, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharatha and the list is endless. One could easily spend an entire day if one gets immersed in the intricacies of these wonderful mural arts in detail.

Paintings are not restricted to the walls inside the hall. As one moves around the Sabhai, one can observe wonderful paintings on the outer walls too, including the doors and windows. Interestingly, the measuring scale that was used to construct the sabhai has also been left behind just outside the sabhai. However, it has been kept in such a way that one can only view it and would not be able to hold it.

HIGHLIGHTS: A couple of paintings that really attracted me strongly were that of Gangalanathar and Natarajar. Gangalanathar is a form of Lord Shiva as a human. The large size solo painting is so very real and soulful that for a moment you forget it is actually a work of art. Natarajar painting depicts the dance of the lord being watched by a huge gathering of people. This painting is a great example of detailed sketching. As one observes closely through the gathering in the painting, one could see that no two people have a similar feature. Each one in the gathering seem to be different from each other and one wonders how many artists were involved in this highest level of artistic exercise.

TICKET AND TIMINGS: Chitra Sabhai is open through out the day from morning to evening with no intermittent breaks. An entry fee of Rs.25 is charged per person. The ticket wala is quite knowledgeable and he can easily double up to be your guide. You can get to know a good amount of history about the region from him, in case you are interested.

ADDITIONAL NEAR-BY VISITS: If you visit Chitra Sabhai, you should not miss out taking a bath or at least a few snaps in front of the wonderful falls, although the falls do dry up quite a bit during off-season. Also, Kutraleeswar temple at the foothill of the Main falls is also a must visit. As you move around inside the temple you would constantly hear the sound of water gushing in the falls. However, you would be able to view the falls from only a single location inside the temple. The Lordess shrine here is also of great significance and is one of the 64 sakthi peedams.

SCHEDULING YOUR TRIP: A Visit to Chitra Sabhai is best combined with a visit to the Tirunelveli Nelliappar Temple and the Tenkasi Viswanathar temple. Both these temples are quite huge and deserve a post on their own. For those interested, one could add Papanasam temple, Agasthiar falls and Manimuthar falls to their schedule.

Do make a visit to Chitra Sabhai. I can assure that you would not be disappointed.