Tillai Moovayaram

Dikshitarof Chidambaram/Thilai Muayiravar/Tillai Moovayaram

தில்லை வாழ் அந்தணர்

Iyers with surname Dikshitar are common in South India .But Dikshitar of Chidambaram are different from others.

Dikshitar of Chidambaram are belong to sub sect of iyer/Brahmin called choliyal,who are considered to be is one of the oldest Pancha-Dravida Brahmins. They got their Name Choliyal because of their settlement in Chola kingdom.

Even the chola kings when they come to worship Lord Nataraja, they will got permission first from dikshitar and their blessings then only they pray to Lord

‘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 are belong to group of people who are from them generations of saints like patanjali writer of yoga sutra, Bharata Muni Writer of Natyashastra, vyakarapada.

That three thousand Brahmins including Lord Nataraja were requested to come to Chidambaram by the early Chola kings to take up positions of priests .

These people have Purve sikha which is common among choliyal of Tamil nadu and Nambhoodiri of Kerala

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.

Only a marriedman 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, how so ever 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

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.

Great Saints of saivite like Sundaramoorthy Nayanar, Sundarar
Thirugnana Sambanthar, Appar, Sekkizhar,Manicka Vachkar and rest of Other Nayanmars Praised them a Lot And even Worshipped them as Lord Shiva's Gana's

Even vaishnavite saints alvar praise them

They had been praised in Devaram,thiruvavhagam,periyapuranam.

Saint Adi shankara gifted them with one of five Lingam which he brought from kailash.

Lot of Saivitesaints like Umapathi Sivachaya are from them.

See also

* choliyal
* Iyer
* Iyengars
* Brahmins