§ 01Origins & Significance
Who is Sivakami
The presiding goddess of the Chidambaram Temple, consort of Nataraja. Represents the feminine aspect of the cosmic dance, the witness to Shiva's Tandava. Worshipped as the mother goddess of Chidambaram.
§ 05Names & Epithets
Names by which the divine is addressed
Śivakāmī शिवकामी
Beloved of Shiva
Chidambaram Devi चिदम्बरदेवी
Goddess of Chidambaram
Parvati पार्वती
Daughter of the Mountain
§ 06Symbols & Attributes
What they hold
Feminine graceWitness to cosmic danceChidambaramParvati form
प
Lotus
Symbol of purity and divine grace.
मु
Crown
Signifies her queenship as consort of Nataraja.
§ 07Iconography in Depth
Form, mudras, weapons & vahana
Depicted seated beside Nataraja. Serene, graceful expression. Crowned, beautiful.
§ 09Mantras
Sacred utterances
Mūla Mantra
ॐ शिवकाम्यै नमः
Oṁ Śivakāmyai namaḥ
Salutations to Śivakāmī.
— Shaiva tradition
§ 12Festivals & Vrata
The year of Sivakami
Mārgaśīrṣa · Arudrā Darśana
Arudra Darshan
Celebrates the cosmic dance of Nataraja; Śivakāmī is honored as witness.
Āśvina · Navarātrī
Navaratri
Nine nights of goddess worship; Śivakāmī is venerated as a form of Parvati.
§ 13Where Worshipped
Tīrthas & major shrines
01
Chidambaram Nataraja Temple
Tamil Nadu
Primary shrine where Śivakāmī is enshrined beside Nataraja.
§ 14Scriptures
Where to read further
Tirumurai
Tamil Shaiva hymns that praise Śivakāmī as consort of Nataraja.
c. 6th-12th century CE
Shaiva Siddhanta texts
Philosophical works describing Śivakāmī as the feminine principle in Shiva's dance.
c. 12th-13th century CE
§ 16Related Deities
Continue exploring
न
Consort
Nataraja
नटराज
श
Same as Nataraja; Śivakāmī is his beloved
Shiva
शिव
प
Identified with Śivakāmī as a form of Parvati
Parvati
पार्वती
ग
Son (in Shaiva tradition)
Ganesha
गणेश
स
Son (in Shaiva tradition)
Skanda
स्कन्द