Arudra Darshan Wallpapers

Arudra Darshan, also known as Thiruvathirai in Tamil Nadu, celebrates Lord Shiva performing the cosmic dance of Nataraja. It falls on the full moon night of the Tamil month of Margazhi when the star Arudra (Betelgeuse in Orion) is ascendant. The festival is predominantly celebrated in Tamil Nadu, with the grandest celebrations at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, where the cosmic dance is reenacted in an elaborate ritual. Devotees observe a fast and prepare a special dish called Kali along with a sweet porridge called Thiruvathirai Koozh made from rice and lentils. In Kerala, the day is observed as Thiruvathira and is celebrated by women who perform the graceful Thiruvathira Kali dance in circles around a traditional lamp. The festival signifies the cosmic energy of creation and destruction embodied in Shiva Nataraja. Special abhishekam and puja ceremonies are conducted in Shiva temples across South India throughout the night.