The temple's origins are ancient. It existed as a sacred centre during the Sangam period, and the 7th-century Tevaram hymns of Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, and Manickavasagar confirm its importance. The Chola period (9th-13th centuries) was transformative. Parantaka Chola I (907-955 CE) covered the roof of the Nataraja shrine with gold.
Rajaraja Chola I (985-1014 CE) was a devoted patron — an 11th-century mural in the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur depicts Rajaraja with his queens worshipping Nataraja at Chidambaram. According to tradition, it was during his reign that the Tevaram hymns were rediscovered within the Chidambaram temple after being lost for centuries. The Chola emperors considered Nataraja their family deity (Kuladevata). The present temple structures largely date from the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the Later Cholas and Pandyas.
The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya built the northern gopuram around 1520 CE. The temple's distinctive gold-roofed sanctum has been maintained by successive kingdoms. The Podhu Dikshitar community's hereditary rights were challenged in the 20th century but ultimately confirmed by the Supreme Court. Today, the temple continues to follow the same ritual schedules that have been observed for over a millennium.
