Arudra Darshan is a festival and dedicated to lord Shiva. Arudra Darshan celebrates this ecstatic dance of Lord Shiva. It is a Shaivite festival which is represented by the Nataraja form. Arudhra (Thiruvathirai in Tamil) signifies the golden red flame and Lord Shiva performs the dance in the form this red-flamed light. The word Thiruvathirai in Tamil language implies a ‘sacred big wave’ that was used during the creation of the universe by Lord Shiva.

On the full moon night of this month when it is the Arudhra star and notably, this happens to be the longest night of the year. Arudhra is a star that symbolizes golden red flame, which is none else than Lord Shiva at his cosmic dance. The main highlight of this occasion is having the darshan of Shiva as Natraj.

Arudra Darshan is a very grand event that happens in Shiva temples especially where the image of Natraj (dancing Shiva) is installed. This is a festival celebrated in Chidambaram, a temple dedicated to Natraj in Tamilnadu. It is considered highly auspicious and beneficial to view the procession of Lord Natraj on this day. All day long, there are holy baths and pujas conducted in the temples and at the end of the day, a special dish known as Kali is distributed to devotees.

The cosmic dance of Lord Natraj represents five actions — creation, protection, destruction, embodiment and release. It also proves that life is a continuous cycle of creation and destruction. In every atom to every cell, life goes on and energy seems to exist in them. Without movement life stops and comes to a standstill. This is exactly is what Arudra Darshan is all about. The cosmic dance takes place in every particle as it is the source of energy. Arudra Darshan celebrates this rapturous movement/dance of Lord Shiva. It is believed that on this day the Lord’s energy is closest to the earth. Therefore, Lord Shiva’s blessings are 100% assured for the devotee.
Vedicfolks also organize two appropriate but powerful rituals on the day dedicated to Lord Shiva, Mritunjaya homam (Havan) and Rudram Chamakam Homam that brings victory over any life threatening situations provides good health and grants enormous prosperity and affluence. It is easy to please, protect the poor, free of inhibitions and can go to the extent of changing the destiny of an individual. He therefore protects and blesses his followers with grace, knowledge and peace..

Lord Shiva never took birth and because of this there is no nakshaththram dedicated to celebrate. It was on the auspicious day of Arudhrai that he appeared before holy saints vyaagra paadha and pathanychali. Once upon a time Lord Vishnu was resting on the great serpent Adhi Seasha and he felt that he was in some deep thinking. On asking Lord Vishnu told Adhi Seasha that he was remembering the dance of Lord Shiva. This answer got in to a desire in Adhi Seasha to witness this great dance. He asked Lord Vishnu how his desire could be fulfilled. Lord Vishnu then urged him to do rigorous ‘tapas’ at Chithamparam’. Adhi Seasha followed his advice and devotedly prayed to Lord Shiva for a very long time. At the same there, a sage and devotee of Lord Shiva by name viyaagra paadha who lived in that same place. He also worshiped to Lord Shiva to obtain the legs of a tiger in order to pluck flowers at the dawn, without being touched by the bees for offering to the God. He also observed ‘tapas’ to see his great ‘Nataraj’ dance. Finally Lord Shiva was pleased with their prayers and devotion and he showed his ‘Nataraj’ dance in Chithamparam on the day of Arudhra and from then onward the ‘Nataraaja’ image of Shiva is worshiped here with great fervor on this day.