The dance of bliss, or
the Ananda Tandavam of Shiva is said to symbolize the five divine acts
of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of grace.
The dance of Shiva has
been frozen in metal and held in worships in Nataraja Sabhas, in
virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu. Five of the foremost Sabhas (Pancha
Sabhai) are at Chidmbaram (Kanaka Sabhai
the hall of gold), Madurai (Rajata Sabhai the
hall of Silver), Tiruvalangadu near Chennai
(Ratnasabhai the hall of rubies), Tirunelveli
(Tamrasabhai the hall of copper) and Kutralam
near Tirunelveli (Chitrasabhai the hall of pictures).
Other dance halls of
significance are Adri Sabhai (the Himalayas), Aadi Chitsabhai (Tiruvenkaadu near Chidambaram) and Perur
Kanakasabhai (Patteeswarar temple at Perur near Coimbatore).
