1) The shrine for Govindaraja Perumal – one of the 108 divyadesams (More info below).
2) The representations of many famous Siva Lingams associated with different temples in India.
3) The Vinayak deity (Ganesh) blowing a conch.
4) The huge Ganesh in the outer prakara considered to be one of the biggest in India.
5) The temple of Sivakami Amman (Goddess Parvati) in the outer prakara, with its beautiful arch with sculptural beauties.
6) The Subramania temple next to the Ambal temple.
7) Durga temple adjacent to this.

1) Sri Govindaraja Perumal Temple, (Thiru Chithrakoodam)
Sthala Puranam:
Just as Lord Narayana resides Nila Thingal Thundan perumal inside the Ekambareswar temple premises in Kanchipuram, here at Chidambaram Lord Narayan resides as Govindarajan near and within one of the very big Shiva temple – Lord Nataraja- Dancing Shiva.

Here the Lord Govindarajan lays still and soft relishing the dance of Lord Shiva.

When Lord Rama came searching for his wife Sita devi who was taken away by Ravana, Lord Rama found this place in South India and compared it’s beauty to Chitrakut in North India. Thus this place also got its another name as Thiru Chitrakutam. Hence Kulashekara Alwar considers Lord Govinda rajan as Sri Kalyana Rama and composed all his 11 Paasurams considering Govindarajan as Sri Rama only. It’s been said that while repairing the Nataraja temple, Aanapaya chola also known as Second Kulothunga being a fanatic Shaivite had ordered his men to remove Govindaraja’s deity and throw it into the sea. Late the great Ramanujacharya took great effort in finding Govindaraja under the sea and found him and replaced him in his original place. The main speciality of this divyadesam temple is that Lord has his altar in the premises of the Lord Shiva’s temple itself. That too near the Nataraja Altar itself.

Temple Map :

A. Chit Sabha with the Golden Roof

B. Kanaka Sabha

C. The four Gopurams

D. Nritta Sabha

E. Deva Sabha

F. Thousand Pillars Hall or Raja Sabha

G. Shrine of the Mulasthana Lingam

H. Shrine of Brahma-Chandikeshvara

I. The flag mast of the Nataraja temple

J. Shrine of Vishnu Govindaraja

K. Shrine of the Navagrahas, the Nine planets

L. Mukkuruni Vinayaka temple

M. Nandi

N. Hundred Pillars Hall

O. Temple of Devi Shivakamasundari

P. Pandya Nayakam temple, dedicated to Murukan

Q. Shivaganga, the holy tank

R. The temple of the Nine Lingas

S. The Yaga Shala, where Yajnas are performed

T. The Kalyana Mandapam, or Marriage Hall. The gallery dedicated to the 63 Nayanmars or Saints

V. The East entrance to the temple with the 21 steps and the two Purushamriga or Sphinxes guarding on either side.