Plan your trip · Chidambaram
What's on in Chidambaram
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Chidambaram — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Chidambaram right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Chidambaram
Chidambaram's calendar works around the monsoon — the big outdoor events sit either side of it, and the wettest weeks are the quietest ones for anything held in the open. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Chidambaram
Natyanjali Dance Festival
🗓️ February–MarchHundreds of Bharatanatyam dancers perform in front of the Nataraja temple over five days from Mahashivaratri — the god of dance, danced to.
Planning: Free and outdoors; go for the evening sessions.
Across Tamil Nadu
Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe four-day harvest festival — the first rice of the season boiled over until it spills, which is the point.
Planning: Shops shut and intercity buses fill; plan travel around it.
Temple car festivals
🗓️ March–June, by templeVast wooden temple chariots pulled through the streets by hand at Madurai, Thanjavur, Kanchipuram and elsewhere.
Planning: Dates differ per temple and the streets close for hours.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Chidambaram's festivals centre on the Thillai Nataraja Temple. The two biggest are Arudra Darshan in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) and Aani Thirumanjanam in June–July. Each is a 10-day festival that ends with Nataraja and the other main deities taken out on large chariots, pulled around the four car streets, followed by a special darshan. The town fills with pilgrims from across Tamil Nadu.
The Natyanjali dance festival is held on the temple grounds for about five days around Maha Shivaratri, usually in February or March. Dancers from across India perform Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Mohiniyattam and other classical forms as an offering to Nataraja. Festival dates follow the Tamil and lunar calendars and change each year, so check them before you plan your trip.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Chidambaram
- Book your room early for Arudra Darshan, Aani Thirumanjanam and Natyanjali.
- Go to the Natyanjali evening sessions and arrive early for a good seat.
- Expect the car streets to close for hours during the chariot processions.
- Wear traditional clothes and easy sandals, as you will be in and out of the temple.
- Carry water, as the processions move slowly and it can be hot.
- Keep your phone and wallet secure in the crowds.
Questions
Chidambaram — FAQ
What is the Natyanjali festival in Chidambaram?
Natyanjali is a classical dance festival held on the grounds of the Nataraja Temple for about five days around Maha Shivaratri, usually in February or March. Dancers from across India perform as an offering to Nataraja, the lord of dance.
When is Arudra Darshan in Chidambaram?
Arudra Darshan is held in the Tamil month of Margazhi, usually in December or early January. It is a 10-day festival that ends with a chariot procession and a special darshan of Nataraja.
What is Aani Thirumanjanam?
Aani Thirumanjanam is one of the Nataraja Temple's two biggest festivals, held in the Tamil month of Aani (June–July). The deities are taken around the car streets on chariots, followed by a ritual bathing of Nataraja.
Can tourists watch the chariot festivals in Chidambaram?
Yes. Anyone can watch from the car streets. Arrive early for a good spot, and be ready for very large crowds and road closures.