Thillai Kali Amman Temple Chidambaram. Tamil Nadu The Thillai Kali Amman temple is situated on the outskirts of Chidambaram. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Kaali. It was built by Kopperunjingam, a Chola king during his reign.

Speciality of the Temple
In the Thilai Kali Amman temple, Mother Kali appears with four heads like Lord Brahma. One can witness Goddess Saraswathi and Lord Shiva who in the form of Dakshina Rupini. This is the only temple where Lord Dakshinamurthy appears in a female form. Devotees light lamps here on Thursdays and worship the lord for good academic skills and achievement.

History
Once a debate arose between Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva as to who was more powerful amongst them. They decided to hold a dancing competition and the winner shall emerge powerful than the loser. As the danced commenced Lord Shiva played his Ugra Thandava which he ended by raising his leg upwards to the sky and dared mother Kali to do the same.

But bound by the feminine traits, she could not subject to do the same. Hence, she accepted defeat. Yet her anger at having been ridiculed in the basis of gender did not pass and she became furious. Lord Brahma appeared in front of her and praised the Veda Nayaki and begged her to calm down. The Mother responded to the prayer and gave him darshan as Brahma Chamundeeswari. The Thilai Kali Amman temple was built on this place.

Once when Shiva and Shakti competed with each other in dancing, Shiva struck a fabulous pose, lifting his leg high. Shakti could not match that pose because of modesty, and so lost the contest. By the rules of the contest, the loser had to leave Thillai and reside outside. So Shakti moved to a location at the edge of the kshetra and a Kali Temple came up there. Thillai Kali is credited with curative powers and showers health and prosperity on those who worship her. The black Goddess Kali has a diamond on her forehead.

The Goddess “Brahma Chamundeeshvari has four faces like Lord Brahma and sits in a separate Garbagraham facing towards the West. She is very calm and silent and is found to be standing. In the Prakaram, Saraswathi blesses the devotees as “Veenai Vidhyambikai” and Dakshinamoorthy is in woman form and is called “Kadambavana Dakshina Roopini”. The Dakshinamoorthy is in woman form only in this temple.

Prominence of the Shrine : Every year during the Maasi Pavurnami at 06 am in the morning, the Chandran and after two days from the Pavurnami between evening 06 pm to 06:15 pm the Suryan worship let their divine light fall on the Goddess and worship her. The fiery Thillai Kali is sitting facing towards the East. The Gingely Oil Bath [Nallennai Abhishekam ] is very specially done for the Goddess.

Kumkumam Kappu is also done. The Goddess is draped with a white Vastra/ Cloth indicating her calmness and blessings to the devotees. It is also a common belief that the Goddess prevents the Married women who worship her from becoming a widow by draping herself with white Vastra like a widow. The Thillai Kali Amman is the controller of the Zodiac Star ‘maham’ . So `the devotees belonging to the Maham star will receive abundant blessings if they worship the Goddess.