The story of Chidambaram begins with the legend of Lord Siva strolling into the Tillai Vanam ('Vanam' meaning forest and 'tillai' trees - botanical name Exocoeria agallocha , a species of mangrove trees - which currently grows in the Pichavaram wetlands near Chidambaram. The temple sculptures depicting the Thillai trees dates back to the 2nd century AD).

Significance:

        Chidambaram is also referred in various works as Thillai (after the Thillai forest of yore, in which the temple is now located), Perumpatrapuliyur or Vyagrapuram (in honour of Saint Vyagrapathar). The temple is supposed to be located at the Lotus heart of the Universe":‘Virat hridaya padma sthalam'. On the spot where the Lord displayed his dance of bliss, the Änanda Thaandavam - a spot exactly South of the ‘Thirumoolataaneswar temple’, today is the Ponnambalam / Porsabai (‘Pon’ meaning gold, ‘Ambalam’/’Sabai’ meaning stage), housing the Lord Shiva in his dancing form. The Lord is also hence referred to as the ‘Sabhanayakar’, meaning the Lord of the Stage.

This gold roofed stage is the sanctum sanctorum of the Chidambaram temple and houses the Lord in three forms:

a) The ‘form’ - the anthromorphological form as an idol of Lord Nataraja, called the Sakala thirumeni
b) The ‘semi-form’ – the semianthromorphological form as the Crystal linga of Chandramouleswarar, the   Sakalanishkala thirumeni.
c) The ‘formless’ – as the Space in Chidambara Rahasyam–an empty space within the sanctum sanctorum, the Nishkala thirumeni.