DEEKSHITHAR

 

In our previous post i define experience in natraja temple.which located in small town of chidamabaram in south india. In this post.I share about priest of the natraja temple.

The temple is managed and administered hereditarily by the chidambaram dikshitar,A class of vaideeka brahmins whom,legend say,were brought here from mountain kailas,by saint patanjali specifically from the performance of the daily rituals and maintenance of the natraja chidambaram temple.

            
 These deeekshita,follow the vedic rituals,unlike the sivachariyars or adhisaivars,Who follow the agamic rituals for the worship of lord siva.The rituals temple were collated from the vedas and set by patanjali,who is said to have inducted the deekshithars into the worship of lord siva as natraja......))))

The morning at the temple begins with the Chief Priest preparing himself to enter into the temple. In order to honor Siva, the god’s holy sandals is brought from the bedroom to the main temple, accompanied by ceremonial drums, bells, and cymbals and followed by an offering to Siva of sweets, ghee, milk, fruit, rice and other local provisions. The Chief Priest then chants the ritualistic mantras and hymns that speak of Siva’s greatness and pay homage to the deity. These scared Pujas are performed six times throughout the day, each slightly differing from the next. The second Puja of the day includes anointing and blessing the ruby encrusted statue of Siva. It is said that the last Puja of the night is always performed with an added intensity and zeal, for it is when the entirety of divine power and force of the universe come to rest within Siva when he goes to his chamber for the evening, as signified by the returning of his sandals to his designated holy chamber. 

IN ancient time the deekshithars;The community of hereditary priests were known as mvariyavar,or the 3000 of tillai. the chidambaram mahatmayam recount of there arival in tillai just as loard nataraja started his dance there.Thus they were the chosen guardians of the lords worship and of the temple from its very conception.

There relation to lord 'natraja' is very intimate and powerful one, which is expressed by the legend that once the 3000 were requested by Brahma to perform a Vedic sacrifice in heaven.At their return they counted to make sure all had returned safely but when he counted,they found only 2999.All were very upset,until a voice from the sabha called out and announced that he himself,lord natraja, was the 3000th Deekshithar.Today the number of deekshithar around 360.

Although considered as among the Siva,Brahma and Aryans,they from a complete separate group.Not only is their philosophy and temple doctrine different from other social.Groups and other temples,but also their way of life is very different from the society around them. 

In general, every married male member of the Deekshithar family gets a turn to perform the rituals at the temple and can serve as the chief priest for the day. Married Deekshithars are also entitled a share of the temple's revenue.

                                            

 When visiting the temple, you will have no trouble identifying the DikshitarsA Deekshithar has to wear his hair long, with a tonsure all around the rim. The hair is pulled to the left side and tied into a bun. This reflects their awareness of cosmology. It also expresses some aspects of the temple philosophy. They follow the teaching of Baudhayana Maharishi. Male and female energies are inseparable and both essential for the process of cosmos. The Deekshithars acknowledge their female side by wearing their hair long and in a bun, on the left side of the body, which is considered the female side.  

Deekshithar is most pure priest, they all life live in the campus of natraja temple. If fact there education is also inside campus. They not have been much attachments with outer world from temple.In temple all deekshithar are live as a family,they married inside temple.

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The Chidambaram temple is unique in countless ways, but one outstanding feature is without doubt the way in which its priestly community is organized. It is possible the oldest and longest functioning democracy in the world. The community is called Podu Deekshithars, which means ‘the gathering of Deekshithars’. Every Deekshithar has one vote in the general assembly, which takes place every twenty days. The daily management is in the hand of a team of nine members, one of which will be selected to be the Secretary of the temple for one year. The duties of the Secretary of the temple are to preside over all the activities in connection with the daily management, as well as to represent the temple towards the outside world. All ritual duties in the temple are performed through a strict rotation system. Special honorary functions, like presiding over the great Chariot Festivals, or other special ritual functions are accredited by drawing a name from the list of community’s members.

Deekshithar is most pure priest. they have spiritual power and they have very deep connection by god. them soul always connected with god. Deekshithar way of pray is different. if you will see them you feel their purity and connection with god.

they have amazing life style. i felt much positive energy near them, they very familiar and polite. deekshithar of this temple is educated too. they know few language.