 Dikshitars of Chidambaram
1983  During the year 1983, I was working in the South Arcot District of Tamilnadu as
the District Collector. At that time I visited the temple of the Cosmic Lord Nataraja at
Chidambaram. I found that the temple was administered by an ancient community of Brahmins
whose origin at Chidambaram is surrounded both by myth and legend. I found them very
fascinating people and tried to learn more about them.
They are called Dikshitars (could be a variation of North
Indian Dikshits). Today there are about three hundred families of Dikshitars involved with
the temple but in many ancient texts they are mentioned as ‘Tillai Moovayaram’
(the three thousand persons of Chidambaram). This gives credence to the belief that three
thousand Brahmins were asked to come to Chidambaram by the early Chola kings to take up
positions of priests in the temple of Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram.
They believe that the temple is over three thousand years
old and they have been associated with the temple from its very inception. However, their
presence in Chidambaram is mentioned in several scriptures dating prior to the 6th
century AD and hence they are indeed a very ancient community of temple priests.
The legend is that the early Chola kings invited them for
upkeep, maintenance and rituals of the temple.
In this regard there are two schools of thought. One sees
their origin in Varanasi (Kashi) and believes them to be the Dikshits of UP.
Another school of thought believes them to be a segment of
the Namboodhari Brahmins of Kerala, mainly, due to their hair style. However, it looks
more likely that they would have originated in North India.
These priests follow an ancient system of ritual, worship
and temple duty which has remained unchanged for nearly two thousand years. They consider
themselves to be the slaves, the keepers, the guardians, the devotees and the worshippers
of Nataraja. Apart from Nataraja they have no existence of their own.
All the temple duties are performed by them equally and in
rotation including night watch. They are all equal in status and the office of the
‘high priest’ which is very common in many temples of importance does not exist
in Chidambaram at all. They take turns in the duties working in groups of four or six.
Their duties range from conducting rituals in the sanctum sanctorum, chanting Vedas,
ringing the bells, lighting the lamps, carrying the offerings, cleaning the premises to
guarding the temple in the night and so on. No temple duty is below their dignity.
They live around the temple and follow an ancient commune
system. They observe principles of social equality with great earnestness.
The office of the secretary to the Pudu Dikshitars is held
by each Dikshitar in rotation for a year. It is not a superior role but an equal and
co-ordinating role. The secretary cannot take any decision on his own and at the best may
convene a meeting.
The Dikshitars hold a weekly meeting in which all have to
be present to discuss matters pertaining to issues of temple governance. Since all of them
are equal, none of them can preside over this meeting. Hence, by tradition the temple
Pandaram (Bhandari) who is in-charge of the kitchen stores in the temple (a person
belonging to another community), presides over meetings of Dikshitars. Thereby, the law of
equality is strictly enforced. They do not allow anyone of them to become more powerful or
more important than others by virtue of holding any special office.
The Dikshitars observe a strict code of conduct in temple
administration. If a piece of jewellery or even a bit of gold or silver or a gem is lost,
or if it is dropped during conduct of rituals or is broken due to wear and tear, the
Dikshitars present at the time of occurrence, have to make good the loss. In this fashion
all ornaments or treasures of the Lord, if damaged or lost, are immediately repaired or
replaced exactly in the same manner. This custom has ensured that no loss has ever
occurred to the treasures of the temple.
Only a married man can be a
Dikshitar. Every married man
has a share in the temple income and a role in its administration. Due to this reason
there is a practice of early marriage among the Dikshtars. Many a time a head of the
family dies leaving a young son and the family has no other means to sustain itself except
the temple. In these circumstances there is a natural pressure on the son, howsoever young
he may be, to get married and enlist himself into temple duties. Due to these
socio-economic reasons child marriage both of men and women is prevalent in this
community.
An extraordinary fact about these people is their
unflinching faith and devotion and total submission to Nataraja; and their ability in
having sustained the ancient rituals and practices for thousands of years without any
compromise.
The first right on the income of the temple is of Lord
Nataraja. All the requirements of the rituals as per the norms and procedures prescribed
in the ancient text are to be fulfilled first. After buying ghee, honey, milk and flowers
and after cooking the parsadam (the food for the Lord and his Consort) and the rest;
whatever remains is shared by all married shareholders. The woman does not have a share.
There have been times in the past when the income of the
temple dwindled greatly. In those times the Dikshitars have gone without food but not
compromised on ritualistic expenditure for the Lord. For them the well being of the Lord
is more important than their own.
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