Sri Sabhanayagar Temple is one of the most holy Shiva temples. It’s quite enormous, with four ornamental portals and numerous temples and shrines, built with beautiful carved pillars, painted ceilings, and colorful statues. They also have a large lake they call a tank.

In the first courtyard was a scary long line of people waiting, but that’s for free lunch, not admission. People sit on the ground and eat right there. The entire complex has the usual dress code: barefoot and no shorts. Gods cannot be photographed. If you try they’ll confiscate the camera (the guards, not the gods, I hope).

The temple is the heart and only attraction of the town of Chidambaram, a couple very crowded bus rides from Gingee. Indian buses are like the Hilbert hotel, one more will always fit.