Large, ancient temples are interesting places, worlds of their own.
The Great Temple of Lord Nataraja is one such. This morning, I spend time in slow mode here.
A laksharchana has been going on the past days and the temple's nagaswaram artistes perform in the sannidhi area. Chinna Thambi, a Dikshitar priest tells me, is the koil's vidwan. A stern Thambi, perhaps in his 70s, makes my morning with three of his co-artistes. For, nagaswaram live inside a temple is an experience.
Students of Annai Subbammal School, Cuddalore
Once this musical treat is over, dancer Janaki Rangarajan takes their place to pay homage to the Lord. Just one item is her prayer. While she goes through her steps, devotees and priests pass by unconcerned and a few foreign tourists sit down to appreciate the unexpected recital.
I miss the opportunity to walk inside the one thousand-pillared mantap near the tank - it was open till early this morning.
"There are only 999 pillars now," a schoolboy sliding down the steps says. "One pillar collapsed sometime ago."
The group of boys from Bhuvanagiri are killing time here before heading to a local school for their last exam. "We can't depend on the bus services so we come early," another boy tells me.
Leaning on one pillar is a girl busy talking on the cellphone while her girlfriends giggle. At another pillar an old oduvar recites verses with eyes closed. Further up, a hawker totes his morning collection.
Dancers pile in backstage at the venue
On the main road, from two luxury buses, close to one hundred people alight and head for lunch at the mantap. Anita Guha from Chennai has just arrived for an evening presentation - Patha Kavi Pithamaha Annamacharya.
Anita premiered this production for the December season of 2008. Anita's dance dramas deserve to be staged here.
This evening, another dancer definitely deserves to perform here. Nanditha Neroor is just 14. Nanditha was victim to a serious spinal disorder, suffered immensely and survived but lives with artificial implants with 8 nuts and bolts.
"She is here to offer her anjali to Lord Nataraja today,"says her guru Krishnakumari Narendran and when she introduces the dancer to the audience they greet the artiste with a round of applause.
The show of the finale is Anita Guha's. The life and songs of Annamayya told in an edited version of the production wows the packed crowd.
And the curtains come down on the Natyanjali at close to midnight.
